The Central Role of Mental Health in Crisis Response<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recent <\/span>systematic reviews<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>field experience<\/span><\/a> underscore that mental healthcare must be integrated into humanitarian aid, not only for trauma mitigation but also to enable people to rebuild their lives and communities. Evidence indicates that <\/span>MHPSS interventions<\/span><\/a>, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, can improve depression and trauma symptoms in children and adults affected by conflict and displacement. However, the effect of psychosocial programs can be mixed, underlining the importance of tailoring interventions to cultural and situational needs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n MSF formally integrated mental health into emergency medical responses in 1998<\/span><\/a>, and by 2023, offered nearly half a million mental health consultations globally. MSF\u2019s approach joins psychological and community-based support with medical aid, addressing both acute and long-term needs. This holistic strategy reflects broader recommendations from the <\/span>World Health Organization<\/span><\/a> (WHO), which advocates for mainstreaming mental health within all humanitarian and health system responses.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Social Justice, Storytelling, and Systemic Care<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n A key aspect illustrated at the MSF x foraus workshop was the integration of systemic, feminist, and narrative approaches to mental health care. Clinical psychologist Jacqueline Sigg emphasized that MHPSS must address both individual suffering and the collective, sociopolitical context generating trauma. <\/span>Narrative therapy<\/span><\/a>, for example, can help survivors make sense of their experiences and reclaim their agency, a process intimately tied to justice and dignity.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sigg also advocates for a deliberate examination of practitioner privilege and the decolonization of care, echoing arguments in recent literature that mental health interventions must be attentive to <\/span>structural injustices, racism, and the lived realities<\/span><\/a> of displaced populations.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lived Experience, Displacement, and Adaptation<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n First-hand accounts, such as those of Ivanna Bardas, a Ukrainian psychologist who fled to Switzerland, highlight the daily challenges faced by displaced persons in adapting to new environments, seeking employment, and maintaining family life in exile. Barriers such as credential recognition, language, and administrative limitations compound mental health difficulties and shape both short- and long-term adaptation. Bardas\u2019s experience confirms WHO research showing depression, anxiety, and trauma prevalence are substantially higher among migrants and refugees than in host populations. Crucially, both <\/span>research and expert testimony affirm<\/span><\/a> the protective role of social participation, community belonging, and tailored psychosocial support in fostering resilience and integration.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Civil Society, Integration, and the Need for Positive Narratives<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n Panelist Arno Tanner, whose background combines frontline humanitarian work at EU borders with social-work training, logistics, and advocacy, emphasized together with workshop participants the crucial role of civil society in providing safe spaces, promoting inclusive narratives, and facilitating both integration and cultural continuity. The media, individuals, advocacy groups, and state actors share responsibility for creating conditions that support migrants\u2019 resilience, inclusion, and well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Challenges and Imperatives Moving Forward<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n