After disasters, people often show incredible strength and resilience. However, many still struggle with mental health issues, especially if they encounter multiple disasters.
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a study called Evidence Mapping of Psychosocial Supports (EviMaPS) to explore how mental health support is provided after disasters and its effects. The goal was to find effective policies and programs, highlight areas where more information is needed, and suggest improvements for mental health support worldwide.
Led by Professor Lisa Gibbs from the University of Melbourne, researchers from Japan, Australia, Italy, and the USA spent 18 months on this project. In the first phase, they identified 92 mental health support programs and nine policies across 19 countries. Unfortunately, most of these lacked proper evaluations to measure their effectiveness. The team stressed that having strong international and national frameworks is vital for developing successful mental health programs.
During the second phase, they still found a lack of evaluations focusing on long-term mental health benefits. However, some studies pointed to positive outcomes from certain programs, showing reduced symptoms and better coping strategies.
The study underscored the alignment and differences between existing programs and international disaster management guidelines. The researchers urged the need for stronger evaluation methods to guide effective policy development and program creation based on solid evidence.
Professor Gibbs highlighted the growing evidence supporting disaster-related mental health programs, but emphasized the need for more evaluations, especially regarding policies that help vulnerable populations, including low- and middle-income countries.
For more information on the MHPSS project, check out their findings here.
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