Developing a mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) package for infectious disease outbreaks: an expert consensus study

Description :

Public health emergencies, especially infectious disease outbreaks, have significant effects on mental health and psychosocial well-being at both individual and community levels. However, integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) into emergency preparedness and response has faced challenges, including political commitment, funding, trained staff availability, and weak pre-existing mental health systems. In Lebanon, the burden of MHPSS has increased due to the country's fragile context, financial constraints, and socio-political stressors resulting from war and displacement. To address the mental health challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lebanon's National Mental Health Programme, in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF, developed a comprehensive COVID-19 MHPSS Action Plan, despite facing obstacles such as limited resources and stigma. The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Minimum Service Package (MHPSS MSP) provides international guidance on MHPSS interventions for infectious disease outbreaks, encouraging multi-sectoral cooperation. This project aims to integrate MHPSS interventions into outbreak responses in Lebanon, tailored to the unique needs of the population, with the objective of enhancing overall support and response during such emergencies. The project will involve a national workshop to develop a robust MHPSS package, assess its implementation through a simulation exercise, and identify lessons for other contexts.