COVID-19 Recommended Interventions in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) during the Pandemic, June 2020

Prioritize actions according to the need for preventive isolation detected in communities. Particular attention should be given to the needs of the most vulnerable groups in relation to: life course (older adults, children, and adolescents), gender, ethnicity, migratory status, street dwellers, incarcerated persons, people who are institutionalized or living in temporary shelters, and people with preexisting and chronic conditions.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major threat to physical and mental health and to the well-being of entire societies that have been critically affected by this crisis, making it a priority that must be urgently addressed. Hardships associated with socioeconomic effects, fear of the virus and its spread, and other related concerns have an unquestionable impact on the mental health of the population.

This document describes the essential interventions in mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) that should be developed on an intersectoral basis in countries and communities. Its frame of reference is the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) intervention pyramid for MHPSS services. The pyramid shows different levels of support, ranging from social considerations, safety, and basic needs, to the provision of specialized services for the management of more severe conditions, as well as the probable volume of demand at each established level.