ReliefWeb

This operational research aims to produce knowledge that will be useful to RESILAC project stakeholders, with the objective of durably improving operations.

The specific objectives are as follows:

• Reviewing current knowledge about mental health facilities in the four countries targeted by the RESILAC project. The aim will be to understand how external operations integrate mental health into their programmes, in what contexts, what actors are involved, what tools are used, what strategies are implemented, and the main issues at stake.
• Identifying the nature of emerging mental problems and the profile of people with psychological distress symptoms. This area of research aims to conduct a general review of psychological problems related to conflict and their impact on the social and economic integration of young people. It will aim to understand the social consequences (domestic violence, de-schooling, loss of work and income, etc.) and emerging psychological comorbidities (inappropriate stress response, post-traumatic stress, depression, addiction, etc.) related to worsening mental health in the sub region.
• Understanding local mechanisms for treating mental health problems and trauma. This will involve identifying existing institutional mental health services, and updating knowledge about community-based support for young people with mental health problems. From a cross-cutting perspective, the study will aim to understand how society treats those who are suffering from trauma (exclusion or integration), and what room for manoeuvre these people have in the community.
• Describing how trauma in general, and people with post-traumatic symptoms in particular, are perceived collectively by the population. The study will look at how trauma is viewed within the general public, and what they consider to be 'the norm' and 'deviant' in terms of mental health.
• Analysing the connection between mental health and the socio-economic integration of young people in crisis contexts. The aim here will be to understand individual strategies that young people adopt in order to overcome, or live with, their psychological problems. It will also be to understand the impact of mental health problems on young people's work capacity, and to identify collective approaches to cope with this situation.

Through the analysis of both individual strategies and collective approaches that are mobilised in crisis contexts, the study will focus on people's resilience from a cross-cutting perspective.

The study is part of an operational research project and aims to produce practical knowledge for the organisations involved in the RESILAC project, in order to continuously improve operations.