Brief
The psychological toll of an emergency outlasts the outbreak, and responders carry it too. These guidelines establish a regional standard for mental-health and psycho-social support (MHPSS) integrated into emergency response across the MPA countries. They cover a tiered model of support from community self-help to specialist care, protection of responder well-being, and integration of MHPSS into EOC operations rather than treating it as a separate vertical. Developed through a regional workshop, the guidelines include screening tools, referral pathways and facilitator materials so that psycho-social support is planned before an emergency, not improvised during it. They complement the emergency-medical-team and case-management workstreams.
Tiered support model
Support is organised from community-level self-help through focused non-specialist care to specialist services, matching need to capacity.
Responder well-being
Explicit measures protect the mental health of the emergency workforce, recognising responders as an at-risk group.
EOC integration
MHPSS is built into EOC operations and response planning rather than added afterwards.
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