IASC Guidance on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in emergencies

The Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has issued Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings: Minimum Responses in the Midst of Emergencies. The guidelines have been developed by 27 agencies, with input of hundreds of experts worldwide.

The aim of these guidelines is to enable humanitarian actors to plan, establish and coordinate a set of minimum multi-sectoral responses. These guidelines are responding to the absence, until now, of a multi-sectoral, interagency framework to enable effective coordination, identify useful practices, highlight potential harmful practices and clarify how different approaches to support mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies complement each other.

The guidelines specify 25 minimum responses in emergencies in three areas:

Area A. Common functions - coordination, assessment, monitoring and evaluation, protection and human rights standards, and human resources.

Area B. Core mental health and psychosocial supports - community mobilisation and support, health services, education and dissemination of information.

Area C. Social considerations in sectors - food security and nutrition, shelter and site planning, water and sanitation.

The guidelines include 25 Action Sheets that explain how to implement each of the minimum responses.

For further information, visit http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/content/products/default.asp or email: IASCmhpss@who.int or IASCmhpss@interaction.org