The UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee – the oldest and most high-level humanitarian coordination council – defines MHPSS as ‘multi-layered support to address psychological-nature problems and social-nature problems .’ MHPSS support may comprise health, education or community-based interventions.
The IASC and UNDP categorise mental health into three types. First are issues that affected the community before the conflict, such as poverty and discrimination. Second are social issues caused by the conflict, such as family separation, disruption of networks and breakdown of cohesion and trust. Third are social issues brought on by post-conflict stabilisation and humanitarian aid efforts, such as undermining social identity and community structures.
According to the UNDP, MHPSS interventions have various objectives, depending on the individual and community. These could include trauma counselling following traumatic events, resolving intercommunal hostilities and grievances, promoting recovery and resilience, and providing holistic therapy to aid decision-making and understanding one’s emotions.
MHPSS should address intergenerational trauma, build trust and resilience, and allow for the discussion and validation of grievances facing many vulnerable communities across Africa. These approaches can take place on an individual level, with gender-specific groups , or in mixed-group settings. There are several case studies where MHPSS activities have been integrated into ongoing prevention and post-conflict interventions. In north-east Nigeria, the population faces severe social problems stemming from the climate crisis and depletion of natural resources, as well as attacks and kidnappings by Boko Haram and affiliated groups.are in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.