Mental Health and Psychosocial Support: Emergency Preparedness and Response

1. Highlight the importance of mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies, emphasizing their crucial role in protecting psychosocial well-being, preventing and treating mental disorders.

2. Highlight the need to establish a robust and integrated MHPSS preparedness and response system, with effective intersectoral coordination, to address emergencies comprehensively.

3. Provide guidance on the essential principles and criteria for emergency preparedness and interventions, ensuring adequate, rights-based care.

4. Raise awareness of available resources to strengthen the integration of mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies.

5. Facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices in integrating mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies, promoting collaboration among mental health professionals, representatives from other sectors, and individuals with lived experience in emergency situations. 

   Webinar series

Health emergencies, natural and socio-environmental disasters, armed conflicts, and various migratory phenomena can result in significant suffering among affected populations. The psychological and social impacts of such emergencies can be acute in the short term, but they may also have enduring effects. Furthermore, these effects can pose threats to peace, human rights, and development. Hence, protecting and improving the mental health and psychosocial well-being of individuals is a priority during emergencies. Achieving this objective necessitates coordinated efforts among humanitarian aid providers, including governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and civil society groups engaged in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS).

Accordingly, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) works for the promotion and protection of mental health and psychosocial well-being in emergency preparedness and responses, as well as the human rights of individuals with mental health disorders and psychosocial disabilities. In alignment with this commitment, PAHO is organizing the fourth webinar of the "Foundations for Mental Health Change in the Americas" series to address these critical topics.