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Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
The term mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) refers to any type of local or outside support that aims to protect or promote psychosocial wellbeing and prevent or treat mental health conditions.
Children globally are exposed to unprecedented rates of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect, particularly those in crisis, migration and displacement situations, and the psychological and social impacts of emergencies, or experiences of adversity, can undermine the daily functioning and mental health and psychosocial well-being of the affected population. Severe and prolonged stress can have serious long-term consequences, including disrupting children’s development and learning and increasing the risk of physical health problems such as diabetes, heart disorders and mental health conditions in adulthood.
How children are affected, and their ability to cope, is influenced by their age and developmental stage, their pre-existing health and mental health, the support of caregivers, and the overall social environment of children and families (e.g. community support, sense of identity and material resources). The mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of caregivers has a critical impact on children's development and wellbeing.
Save the Children promotes a cross-sectoral, multi-layered approach to MHPSS in order to meet the ‘continuum of care’ needs of all children and families in emergencies or facing adversity – from those with needs for general support, to those with mental, neurological or substance use disorders or serious protection needs. MHPSS interventions should be integrated into existing services and structures (e.g. health clinics, schools, etc.) to improve access and reduce potential stigma and discrimination. This approach is outlined in Save the Children’s MHPSS Cross-sectoral Strategic Framework which has been developed to respond to critical gaps, and to lift the scale and quality of Save the Children’s MHPSS programming.
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Save the Children Psychological First Aid Training Manual for Child Practitioners
The Psychological First Aid Training Manual for Child Practitioners (PFA) was developed by Save the Children Denmark for the Child Protection Initiative, to facilitate training in psychological first aid with a focus on children. It is aimed at developing
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Home-based Psychosocial Wellbeing Activities for Children, Teens and Parents
This guide aims to increase children's resilience and wellbeing through activities that can be done in the home with a little support form parents and caregivers. The activities outlined in this book will support stress management, emotional learning, cre
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Save with Stories: Reaching over 7.5 million people in Egypt through celebrity engagement and online mobilisation
On International Children’s Day in November 2020, Save the Children Egypt launched its own edition of the global Save with Stories campaign. With 25 celebrities in Egypt throwing their weight behind the campaign, Save the Children has reached over 7.5 mil
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Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Children in Humanitarian Settings: An updated review of evidence and practice
The escalation of conflicts and conflict-related displacement around the world has significant impacts on the development and overall well-being of children. Disasters and infectious diseases also disrupt lives and negatively affect the mental health and
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Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Cross-Sectoral Strategic Framework in Humanitarian Settings
This strategy has been developed with the purpose to lift the scale and quality of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) programming in order to promote and respond to critical gaps concerning Save the Children’s response to children’s mental he
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Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 2019 edition
Today, one in four children lives in a country affected by conflict or disaster. Girls and boys face daily risks to their lives and threats to their future physical and mental health. Evidence shows that illness, developmental challenges, and even early d
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Operational Guidelines on Community Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Settings: Three-tiered support for children and families (field test version)
Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is a critical component of the United Nations Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health for 2016-2030. It is also a fundamental part of UNICEF’s Core Commitments for Children (CCC) in Hu
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Psychosocial Support: Facilitating psychosocial wellbeing and social and emotional learning (Guidance note)
The purpose of the INEE Guidance Note on Psychosocial Support is to clarify the importance of supporting the psychosocial wellbeing of children and youth, and to offer specific strategies for how to incorporate psychosocial support (PSS) into education re
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Children's Development and Wellbeing E-learning
Children’s Development and Wellbeing is an interactive online training, hosted on DisasterReady, that focuses on the provision of psychosocial support to children, adolescents and youth. Save the Children is grateful to have developed this initiative in c
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PFA II: Dealing With Traumatic Responses in Children
The PFA II, Dealing with traumatic responses in children manual provides guidance for staff working with children who are severely affected psychologically by acute crisis. It is not a clinical tool and does not in itself qualify staff to engage in clinic
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PFA One Day Programme Manual
Published 2017, the PFA one day programme manual is a condensed psychological first aid training based on the original two-day Psychological First Aid Training for Child Practitioners. It builds on adaptations of this manual in Japan, Denmark, Germany and
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A Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings: Field test version
This document provides guidance in the assessment, research, design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programmes in emergency settings. Although designed specifically for emergency contexts (in