Digital Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

There is an enormous gap in human resources for mental health and psychosocial support at a global level. The ramifications of this gap are magnified in situations of armed conflict, natural disasters and other emergencies, where needs intensify, and health systems are overwhelmed. Accordingly, there is a need for innovative and promising approaches that can reach more people affected in the most cost-effective way possible. In such contexts in which resources are scarce, access is limited, and gaps in service provision are high, digital psychological and psychosocial support services potentially increase reach, and improve health equity by reaching individuals and groups not seeking help due to stigma or other obstacles.

The Digital MHPSS Working Group, supported by the MHPSS Hub, representing 21 National Societies from 4 regions, the IFRC and the ICRC and chaired by the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) supported the implementation of the MHPSS Roadmap and the Digital MHPSS Pledge. The findings presented in a consolidated form here originate on the one hand from the meetings and discussions of the Digital MHPSS Working group and on the other hand they were developed by the SRC in collaboration with Kristofer Vernmark, an external consultant and digital mental health expert.

This Focus Area on Digital MHPSS is to raise awareness for evidence-based digital MHPSS, to create opportunities for learning and to provide practice-oriented, accessible guidance for the effective and efficient implementation of digital MHPSS initiatives at a local and global level within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement).

Explore the five sections above: Facts and learning material that provide a comprehensible initiation to the topic as well as an overview of the current state of knowledge you can expect in “Learn about digital MHPSS?”, interesting scientific articles and reports are made available in “Dive deeper”, good practice examples of digital MHPSS services within (and beyond) the Movement you find in “Get inspired”, a step-by-step guide on how you create your own digital MHPSS solution awaits you in “Innovate and implement” and for information about the Community of Practice and Learning go to “Share and connect”.

The majority of resources presented on the pages were not produced by the MHPSS Hub. They were developed jointly by the digital MHPSS Working group, later reviewed and edited by the Swiss Red Cross and Kristofer Vernmark, an external consultant and digital mental health expert. The MHPSS Hub can therefore not take responsibility for the content.