Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Refugees Psychosocial Support Types and Benefits

1. Psychosocial Support Types and
Benefits
by Farah Hamouri, Mahmoud mandow
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
for Refugees
GERMAN JORDANIAN UNIVERSITY

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h0L6u68tbI
Psychosocial Support (PSS)
is one type of interventions of
Psychotherapy

3. Definitions of Psychosocial:
• Refers to the close connection between psychological aspects
of human experience and the wider social experience
What is Psychosocial Support?
• Is the continuum support which influences both the individual and
the social environment in which people live and benefits from
support offered by caregivers, family members, friends, neighbors,
teachers, health workers, and community members on a daily basis.
• It extends to care and support that is offered by specialized
psychological and social services, to improve their psychosocial
wellbeing, and building a better sense of self and community ,
tolerance and acceptance, promoting everyday consistent care
and support in the family and community. (1)

4. Erik Erikson 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYCBdZLCDBQ
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=577GqQDMX08

5. Psychosocial Wellbeing
• Psychological effects: affect different levels of functioning
including cognitive (perception and memory as a basis for
thoughts and learning), emotions, and behavioral.
• Social effects: refer to relationships, family and community
networks, cultural traditions and economic status,
including life tasks such as school or work.(2)

6. Relationship between Psychology and Social (3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_aP0-BKCeI

7. Types of Psychosocial Issues (4)
• Depression and Anxiety
• Grief
• Financial Issues, Insurance
• Substance Abuse
• Loss of Independence
• Housing Status Changed
• Crime and Abuse/Neglect
• Social Isolation
• Negative Coping Mechanisms
• Develop new mental symptoms or exacerbate pre-existing
symptoms

8. Human Needs Pyramid ( Maslow Pyramid )
The basis for all psychosocial support is the
pyramid of interventions in emergencies,
which is based primarily on the
human needs pyramid (Maslow pyramid)

10. Five levels of Maslow pyramid (5)
1. Physiological needs: these are requirements for human survival,
e.g. air, food, water, sex, sleep.
2. Safety needs: protection, security, order, law, stability, freedom
from fear.
3. Love and belongingness needs: The need for interpersonal
relationships motivates behavior. such as friendship, trust, receiving
and giving.
4. Esteem needs: (1) esteem for oneself (dignity, independence)
(2) the desire for respect from others (status, prestige).
5. Self-actualization needs: understand personal potential, self-
fulfillment.

11. Levels of Psychosocial and
Humanitarian Support
Pyramid of Interventions
in Emergencies
or

12. 1. Basic services and security (6)
• Base of the pyramid and includes basic humanitarian actions
that aim to meet basic humanitarian needs, including food,
shelter, water, health care, and safety needs.
• Response should include cultural and social considerations ,
including ensure the protection of people's dignity and the
strengthening of support from the community.
• Providing basic humanitarian services have a significant impact
on the health and psychological well-being of persons affected
in humanitarian situations.

13. 2. Community and Family Supports(7)
• Affected population will need psychosocial support to restore a sense
of normality in their lives, in order to maintain good psychological and
social health.
• Helping those affected by the loss of loved ones and Help them to
develop cope mechanisms.
• Repair the family and community networks that have been broken
down.
• Family reunification can be included as activities in a psychosocial
support at this level.

14. 3. Focused, Non-Specialized Supports (8)
• Targets a small groups of the affected population who need
additional support than others and may develop psychological or
mental health disorders
• Individual, group or family interventions, e.g. social and life
programs for survivors of gender-based violence.
• Usually provided by trained and supervised staff or volunteers.
• People in need if they receive no services in this level , then
recovery from negative experiences is likely to take much longer.

15. 4. Specialized Services (9)
• Smaller percentage of the population who need care for severe
psychological or mental disorders.
• Includes professional psychological or psychiatric support.
• Individuals, or families who experienced crisis or strong situation, or
have pre-existing psychological disorders.
• People working must have a basic understanding of mental health
and psychological disorders.
• The given support may require complex social interventions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ5jXhQpfQk

16. Psychosocial Support Services can be found in: (10)
1. Camps: temporary shelters for refugees, IDPs, and asylum seekers.
2. Static facilities: NGO and GO facilities in disaster-free areas such as
hospitals and schools.
3. Mobile teams for emergency: provide services through outreach or
mobile teams to bring services closer and faster to those in need.
4. Community centers: locations where members of a community tend to
gather to receive activities, social support, etc.
5. Women and girl safe spaces (WGSS): formal or informal place where
women and girls feel physically and emotionally safe.
6. CFS/AFS: refer to child friendly spaces and adolescent friendly spaces.

17. Beneficiary Population from MHPSS (11)
1. People and children most at risk
2. Pregnant women and widows
3. Older People
4. Students suspended from school
5. Homeless people
6. socioeconomically disadvantaged
7. Former detainees
8. Unaccompanied or Separated
children
9. People in need of mental health
10. Survivors of stressful events or
trauma
11. Survivors of GBV, sexual abuse and
torture
12. People with physical and mental
disability
13. War wounded
14. Refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs and
migrants

18. Types of psychosocial support
1. Awareness information on the prevention of family separation and
psychosocial distress.
2. Non-specialized psychosocial support activities: life skills activities.
3. Vocational training: sewing, cooking, computer, hairdressing
classes.
4. Recreational activities: dancing, Playing cards.
5. Community-based initiatives:
6. Psychological first aid (PSA) in emergency:
7. Contributing to the reunification of separated families.
8. Assistance in providing appropriate mourning rituals.

19. Cont. of Types of psychosocial support
9. Supportive parental programs
10. Structured PSS: storytelling, focused group, CFS/AFS
11. Formal and non-formal education activities
12. Women's groups
13. Youth clubs
14. Livelihood / economic empowerment activities
15. Gymnastic and sports activities: hiking, zompa
16. Structured and specialized services: case management

20. Importance of PSS ( Benefits ) (12)
1. Prevention: prevention from separation or violence
2. Risk mitigation
3. Strengthen the capacity of caregivers to provide daily PSS children
4. Achieve the psychological and social stability of the affected groups in society
5. Helping people in recovery process and restore hope and dignity
6. Strengthening social networks
7. Strengthen self-confidence of people
8. Educate people how to protect themselves and others from stress
9. A powerful factor helps restore the ability to face disasters

21. MHPSS for Refugees (13)
• MHPSS approach: Adopting an MHPSS approach means
providing a humanitarian response in ways that are
beneficial to the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of
refugees.
• This is relevant for all actors involved in the protection of and assistance to refugees.
• MHPSS interventions: consist of activities with a primary
goal to improve the mental health and psychosocial
wellbeing of refugees. MHPSS interventions are usually
implemented by the sectors for health, community-based
protection and education.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfnAPXp6F-M

22. Principles for promoting mental health and psychosocial
well being for Refugees (14)
1. Treat all people with dignity and respect and support self-reliance
2. Respond to people in distress in a humane and supportive way
3. Provide information about services, supports and legal rights and obligations
4. Provide relevant psycho-education and use appropriate language
5. Prioritize protection and psychosocial support for children, in particular,
children who are separated, unaccompanied and with special needs
6. Strengthen family support

23. Con. of Principles for promoting mental health and psychosocial well
being for Refugees
7. Identify and protect persons with specific needs.
8. Make interventions culturally relevant and ensure adequate interpretation.
9. Provide treatment for people with severe mental disorders.
10. Do not start psychotherapeutic treatments that need follow up when follow up is
unlikely to be possible.
11. maximize the participation of affected populations in the humanitarian response.
12. Humanitarian actors should reduce the risk of harm.
13. develop a layered system of complementary supports that meets the needs of
different groups.

24. References
1- http://rfmsot.apps01.yorku.ca/glossary-of-terms/mental-health-and-psychosocial-support/
2-http://www.who.int/mental_health/emergencies/en/
3-http://www.who.int/mental_health/emergencies/en/
4-http://www.cornellcares.org/education/pdf/Psychosocial_Orientaton_10-11.pdf
5-https://www.simplypsychology.org
6-http://pscentre.org/wp-content/uploads/PSI-Handbook_EN_July10.pdf
7-http://pscentre.org/wp-content/uploads/PSI-Handbook_EN_July10.pdf
8-http://pscentre.org/wp-content/uploads/PSI-Handbook_EN_July10.pdf
9-http://pscentre.org/wp-content/uploads/PSI-Handbook_EN_July10.pdf
10-HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAN syria 2018
11-IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings.
12- ‫المحلي‬ ‫المجتمع‬ ‫على‬ ‫القائم‬ ‫والنفسي‬ ‫االجتماعي‬ ‫الدعم‬ ‫المصدر‬-‫دليل‬‫المشارك‬
13-Operational Guidance Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Programming for Refugee Operations.
14-Operational Guidance Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Programming for Refugee Operations

25. Thank you
Questions?