Technical Note on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Practical Tools, Approaches and Case Studies

The IASC Reference Group for MHPSS in Emergency Settings developed this Technical Note to assist humanitarian aid, development and disaster risk management organizations across sectors in integrating MHPSS with DRR perspectives and approaches. It was informed by a global mapping exercise and literature review conducted in 2019, which identified case studies of best practices in integrating MHPSS and DRR with a specific focus on preparedness and recovery. It was also strengthened through a comprehensive consultation and peer review process undertaken between 2019 and 2020 engaging IASC MHPSS RG Member Agencies, colleagues from UNDRR, and other DRR MHPSS experts' from academia and the field. The document outlines the rationale, actions, indicators, tools and terminology to foster joint MHPSS-DRR integration and programming. Critical aspects of linking MHPSS and Climate Change and identifying existing best practices, are also described, including in connection with the IASC Key Messages on Climate Change and Humanitarian Action. In order to strengthen its relevance and integration with important concepts and frameworks in the field, the note was heavily informed by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, by WHO’s Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (EDRM) Framework, and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)'s Words into Action (WiA) guidelines. It is hoped that this resource will act as an effective tool to add more focus on country work on preparedness for and recovery from emergencies and reducing the disasters risks linked to mental health and psychosocial well-being.