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How the pandemic spurred innovations in mental health services

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic created a greater demand for mental health support, lockdowns and other restrictions meant that organizations around the world had to get creative with how they could deliver these services, particularly to low-resource communities.

Zoom calls weren’t always the answer, but technology did play a key role in connecting clients and partners, sharing information, and providing remote training.

Since the start of the pandemic, StrongMinds, a social enterprise that tre
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Taking the stigma out of mental health services

While the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted more conversations around mental health, it’s a topic that remains widely misunderstood and highly stigmatized. This can make individuals reluctant to seek out support and create challenges for those delivering mental health services, with some even facing physical risks.

Like all health programs, buy-in from local leaders and context-appropriate sensitization activities are critical in getting communities on board, but additional considerations around l
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Globaldev careers: The mental health coordinator

While COVID-19 has helped shift attitudes around mental health and highlighted the need for greater investment in this area, it has also created new challenges for teams working to support the well-being of vulnerable populations in humanitarian settings.

Glaucia Pereda, coordinator for HIAS’ mental health and psychosocial support — or MHPSS — program, heads up a team in Venezuela that provides training and designs interventions to prevent further harm to the mental health of the communities it
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In Greece, NGOs turn to games and play to treat refugee children's trauma

When children arrive at refugee camps in Greece — having fled difficult conditions and experienced trauma en route to Europe — many are already suffering mental health problems.

Once they arrive, abject living conditions in the camps can exacerbate that, triggering worrying behaviors, experts on the ground told Devex. An alarming number of children in the camps are expressing suicidal ideations or regressing as a result of their deteriorating mental health, they said.

In a country where there
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Leyla Hussein: Donors can change attitudes toward aid worker mental health

The emotional well-being of aid workers and advocates is still not prioritized by employers — but donors could play a key role in changing this, according to Leyla Hussein, a psychotherapist and campaigner against female genital mutilation.

In an interview with Devex, Hussein — who was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2019 for her advocacy work — said donors can help protect the mental health of grassroots campaigners and others working on the projects they fund. She said t

The psychologists aboard Sicily's refugee ships

Since April, thousands of people on the move have passed through the commercial ships docked at Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily. The national authorities have repurposed these four ships — each one able to hold up to 700 people at a time — as quarantine centers for the newly arrived. Some have spent years making the arduous journey from sub-Saharan Africa to reach the Italian coast; others have come from Iraq, Iran, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
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Lessons from IFRC on integrating mental health into humanitarian response

Jagan Chapagain, IFRC secretary-general, says humanitarians ignore the mental health element of crisis response at their "own peril." Interventions do not have to be complicated or costly.

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Liberia mental health services 'overloaded' after lockdown, MSF says

Emma Smith is a Reporter at Devex. She covers all things related to careers and hiring in the global development community as well as mental health within the sector — from tips on supporting humanitarian staff to designing mental health programs for refugees. Emma has reported from key development hubs in Europe and co-produced Devex’s DevProWomen2030 podcast series. She holds a degree in journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University and a master's in media and international conflict. In additi
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The pandemic takes its toll on women and girls' mental health

Emma Smith is a Reporter at Devex. She covers all things related to careers and hiring in the global development community as well as mental health within the sector — from tips on supporting humanitarian staff to designing mental health programs for refugees. Emma has reported from key development hubs in Europe and co-produced Devex’s DevProWomen2030 podcast series. She holds a degree in journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University and a master's in media and international conflict. In additi
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Health workers speak out on the need for better mental health support

GLASGOW, Scotland — Shortages of protective equipment, long shifts, and fear of taking the virus home to their families — these are just some of the challenges facing health professionals supporting the COVID-19 response. And, while some are hailed as heroes, others face stigma from local communities who fear they could spread the coronavirus further.

Even outside of a pandemic situation, health workers face tough conditions in their jobs. But the toll this can take on their mental health is ra
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Designing mental health programs: Faith, culture key elements

GLASGOW, Scotland — Mental health is increasingly seen as a vital part of global health, and program development needs to be sensitive to local cultures and faith to be most effective, experts say.

“How mental health conditions manifest and how people express themselves can vary considerably based on context, cultural and religious background,” Mesfin Teklu Tessema, head of the health unit at the International Rescue Committee, told Devex in an email. Programs that are not designed and implemen
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How to support displaced populations' mental health during lockdown

GLASGOW, Scotland — The coronavirus is expected to have a huge impact on mental health globally, but displaced populations including refugees, migrants, and internally displaced people will be disproportionately affected.

The prevalence of mental health conditions is already higher among displaced populations and measures in place to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus are likely to exacerbate these. As a result, it is critical that mental health support is part of the ongoing response and
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How to support staff mental health during a crisis

GLASGOW, Scotland — The coronavirus pandemic and restrictions in place around the world are expected to take a toll on mental health. A report published Friday suggests there are already 264 million people suffering from anxiety worldwide, and 322 million experiencing depression. The ongoing crisis will likely cause these numbers to rise, mental health experts told Devex.

Aiysha Malik, technical officer at the World Health Organization, said that during times of emergency it is normal for peopl
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Conference call: How to support employee mental health in the aid sector

Around 30% of the general population suffer from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety — and people working in the aid sector will always experience some of this, said Dr. Kavita Avula, lead consulting psychologist with The KonTerra Group, which supports leadership development, in addition to staff care and resilience, for organizations working in high-stress environments.

Aid workers are often operating in high-risk contexts, where resources are limited and movement is restricted
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Humanitarian staff need better post-assignment care

BARCELONA — From pre-assignment preparedness to crisis support, duty of care involves a whole range of services, protocols, and conversations that are designed to keep aid staff safe.

But one piece of the duty-of-care puzzle that is still often overlooked in the sector is post-assignment support, experts told Devex. That can leave staff vulnerable to mental health issues and burnout after returning from projects in the field.