Somalia Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Technical Working Group

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Human services and support of the World Health Organization, the Somali Health Cluster have established the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support technical working group (MHPSS TWG). 

In addition to clusters or sectors, there are also cross-cutting technical areas of work that do not easily ‘fit’ within a single area of humanitarian action. MHPSS is included among these areas because effectively supporting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of affected communities requires integrated and cross-sectoral approaches that include diverse actors (e.g., nutrition, education, health, protection, WASH). MHPSS therefore ‘cuts across’ multiple areas of action. MHPSS has to be emphasized within sectors while also ensuring coordination across them.

Country-level MHPSS TWGs are groups that work across the sectors at country-level to promote and support a coordinated MHPSS response. MHPSS TWGs are unique multisectoral platforms that bring together actors to coordinate more effective delivery of integrated MHPSS.

The MHPSS TWG Somalia has several core functions among those are:

• Provide technical support to all actors who are involved in MHPSS activities
• Support clusters, AoR and TWG with technical inputs and mainstreaming MHPSS into different sectors
• Support and provide trainings related to MHPSS topics
• Facilitate regular MHPSS TWG meetings to support coordination between MHPSS actors
• Share and mainstream important resources such as trainings, manuals, guidelines and/ or policy briefs relate to MHPSS
• Support the Department of Mental Health and Substance abuse of the MoH Somalia
• Update and maintain 4W information of MHPSS activities
• Support and contribute clusters, AoR, TWG and partners in MHPSS assessments
• Contribute to integrate MHPSS in the overall humanitarian response plan

• mhGAP Community Toolkit: Field Test Version
• Guidance: Integrating MHPSS and Peacebuilding: a Mapping and Recommendations for Practitioners
• Community-Based Mental Health: A Training Guide for Community Providers
• Drought Response and Famine Prevention Plan
• Regional Drought Response Plan for the Horn of Africa May – December 2022
• Somalia OCHA
• Mental health and Climate Change: Policy Brief- WHO EPHS 2020 Guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans Mental Health Policy Brief Somalia Briefing Note : CONSENSUS-BASED RESEARCH AGENDA FOR MHPSS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS (MHPSS-SET2)

• The role of community pharmacists in increasing access and use of self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: examples from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Somalia
• Mental health of Somali adolescent refugees: The role of trauma, stress, and perceived discrimination.
• Moderate to severe psychological distress, disability, and non-receipt of past year visits to a mental health professional - PubMed
• Investing in mental health in Somalia: harnessing community mental health services through task shifting
• Mental health crisis in Somalia: a review and a way forward | International Journal of Mental Health Systems
• A situation analysis of mental health in Somalia
• Culture and Context in Mental Health of Refugees in Somalia
• Prevalence of mental disorders and psychological trauma among conflict- affected population in Somalia: a cross-sectional study
• Investing in mental health in Somalia: harnessing community mental health services through task shifting
• Mental health crisis in Somalia: a review and a way forward
• Mental health in Somalia
• The unmet need for mental health support among persons with disabilities in Somalia: Principal correlates and barriers to access
• ‘You are too much in this modern world, that’s why you are like this’: Understanding perceptions of mental health among Somali people in London
• Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Factors Among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) In Mogadishu Cross-Sectional Study
• Culture, context and mental health of Somali refugees- UNHCR
   

• IASC Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings
• PFA WHO Manual
• Disaster Risk Reduction and MHPSS
• IASC 4W Manual
• Community Based MHPSS Manual
• Problem Management plus
• WHO Toolkit MHPSS assessment
• MHPSS MSP

• PSS Counselling and Social Work in Somalia- A guide
• Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers
• Problem management plus (PM+)
• How do you talk to children about war?
• Psychological First Aid for Young Peers A training manual
• IASC Guidance Integrating MHPSS and Peacebuilding, a Mapping and Recommendations for Practitioners
• Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guideline for mental, neurological and substance use disorders
• Comprehensive 4Ws MHPSS mapping
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• MHPSS elements of child protection: An introductory guide for child protection practitioners
• Listen and Learn: Participatory Assessment with Children and Adolescents
• Understanding children’s wellbeing
• Working with other sectors to enhance outcomes of MHPSS elements of child protection
• Parents and caregivers are heroes : Protecting our children in a crisis
• Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE)
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• SELF-CARE MANUAL for Front-Line Workers
• Person-centered recovery planning for mental health and well-being
• Recovery practices for mental health and well-being
• WHO guideline on self-care interventions for health and well-being, 2022 revision
• Classification of self-care interventions for health
• Essential Principles of Staff Care: Practices to Strengthen Resilience in International Humanitarian and Development Organizations
• WHO Guidelines on mental health at work
• Mental health at work: Policy brief
• Self-Care Manual for Humanitarian Aid and Development Workers
• The Wellbeing Guide: Reduce Stress, Recharge and Build Inner Resilience
• WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (2024). MHPSS platform on stress among frontline workers

• Mental health of people with neglected tropical diseases
• WHO advocacy strategy for mental health, brain health and substance use
• Mental Health, Disability and human rights
• Advocacy in mental health
• Somalia health sector strategic plan 2022 - 2026 (HSSP III)
• A manual for checking Mental Health Best Practices in Somalia
• 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit
• Advocacy package (IASC)

• MHPSS Online Dashboard 
• Ministry of Health Somalia

Abdikafi Abdullahi Mohamud 

MHPSS TWG Coordinator

mohamudabd@who.int

Dr. Zeynab Ahmed Noor

Head of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Section

Ministry of Health & Human Services- Federal Government of Somalia

mentalhealth@moh.gov.so

CHUKWUMA, Friday Uchechi

MHPSS Specialist

chukwumau@who.int