This policy brief aims to support stakeholders, primarily policy-makers, donors and other decision-makers, in integrating MHPSS and peacebuilding. It describes the inextricable links between the two sectors, provides examples of current integration efforts, outlines a bi-directional, holistic approach to integration and identifies strategies that stakeholders can take to integrate mental health and psychosocial support MHPSS and peacebuilding.
Key Messages:
Armed conflict has devasting, long-term impacts on sustainable peace and on people’s mental health and well-being.
Efforts that integrate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and peacebuilding can enhance positive outcomes and limit negative, unintended outcomes for well-being, resilience, social cohesion and peace.
Bi-directional, holistic approaches to integration can lead to enhanced, sustainable outcomes.
Integration should occur across all conflict phases and can contribute to response, recovery and prevention processes.
Integration can be strengthened by enabling multi-stakeholder and intersectoral engagements, learning about and supporting the work of grassroots actors, encouraging selfcare of all actors, establishing research mechanisms, facilitating dialogues and co-learning events, and increasing and reorienting investments for integration.
