Focus: Coping, Resilience & Psychosocial Support

1. Two recent reports investigate coping and resilience:

Coping with Crisis (IRIN News, Nov. 2010) [text]
- This indepth report from IRIN News focuses on the resilience of people to cope with the aftermath of traumatic events and the psycho-social support provided by those who help people who have experienced crises.

Exploring Coping Mechanisms in Conditions of Displacement: The Struggles and Strengths of Pakistani and Somali Refugees in Nepal (LSE Migration Studies Unit, 2010) [text]
- From the abstract: "Urban refugees (UR) constitute more than half of the world’s refugees (UNHCR, 2010). Whilst the literature acknowledges the vulnerabilities surrounding this burgeoning group, minimal attention has been paid to the organically developed coping mechanisms and resilience of this population. This study will aim to counterbalance this trend in the literature and will explore the experiences of Pakistani and Somali URs, two of the largest UR populations in Kathmandu, Nepal."

2. Two reports critique PTSD approaches to mental health services for refugees:

"A Critical Review of Psychological Treatments of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Refugees," Clinical Psychology Review, Article in Press (Nov. 2010) [abstract]
- From the abstract: "Despite much research evidence that refugees suffer from elevated rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), relatively few studies have examined the effectiveness of psychological treatments for PTSD in refugees. The field of refugee mental health intervention is dominated by two contrasting approaches, namely trauma-focused therapy and multimodal interventions. This article firstly defines these two approaches, then provides a critical review of 19 research studies that have been undertaken to investigate the efficacy of these treatments. Preliminary research evidence suggests that trauma-focused approaches may have some efficacy in treating PTSD in refugees, but limitations in the methodologies of studies caution against drawing definitive inferences."

A "Daily Stressors & Trauma" Debate & the Temptation of Mental Health Evaluation for Everything (Andy Rasmussen's Blog, Sept. 2010) [text]
- Reports on the debate surrounding "how best to provide 'psychosocial' and 'trauma-related' mental health services to displaced populations (i.e., refugees)."

3. Two other reports review the knowledge needed to provide psychosocial support:

"Developing Relevant Knowledge and Practical Skills of Psychosocial Work and Counselling," Intervention: International Journal of Mental Health, Psychosocial Work and Counselling in Areas of Armed Conflict, vol. 6, no. 2 (2008) [now in full-text]
- Here's the abstract: "In many areas of armed conflict there is an urgent need for relevant knowledge and practical skills around mental health and psychosocial interventions. Knowledge developed at Western universities, or in Western practice, does not easily translate into practice in a non-western context. In this article, an approach to developing relevant knowledge and practical know-how is described that can be utilized within the context of a developing country. This approach also is useful when working with immigrants and refugees in a western context."

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Emergencies: What Should Humanitarian Health Actors Know? (IASC, 2010) [text]
- "Based on the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC, 2007), this document gives an overview of essential knowledge that humanitarian health actors should have about mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in humanitarian emergencies."

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Emergencies: What Should Protection Programme Managers Know? (IASC, 2010) [text]
- Companion to document above.

Tagged Publications.