Thematic track 1 highlights the importance of localisation and strengthening mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) systems and structures. Although mental health and psychosocial needs are not always visible, they are nevertheless real, urgent and, in some cases, life-threatening. Ensuring early access to culturally appropriate and relevant mental health and psychosocial support services, in particular for people affected by emergencies, is crucial. In addition, we need to emphasize early detection and prevention of mental health and psychosocial needs occurring in childhood. Thus, we must promote recognition of mental health as equally important as physical health and support the establishment of official support structures needed to establish ways to identify and refer people with mental health and psychosocial needs.

Thematic track 2 centres on the “State of the Art” of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) interventions in fragile and humanitarian settings stressing that in order to meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities in all contexts we are to apply a multi-layered and comprehensive approach to MHPSS. A pyramid model is used to illustrate the layered and complementary MHPSS services and activities offered in emergencies, ensuring a continuum of care, ranging from basic and integrated psychosocial support to more specialized mental health care.

Thematic track 3 addresses the importance of designing and implementing MHPSS interventions fostering the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children, youth and caregivers. This includes recognising the impact of the dynamics between children, youth and their caregivers for ensuring well-being and thriving across the lifespan. It is also evident that structural and social determinants significantly impact children’s brain development and the exposure to risks, which again affect the way they learn to cope and develop resilience, self-confidence and self-awareness, and the way they learn to trust adults. At the same time, children in conflict- and crisis-affected settings certainly need to have constructive coping strategies and resilience since they regularly deal with distressing situations, life-threatening events, separation and neglect. All aspects that have an impact on mental health and well-being both during childhood and throughout youth but also into adulthood, which then may affect the coming generations. 

Coordination and sharing of information is key for making safe and dignified referrals to available services where and when needed. Equally important is advocating to public authorities or other relevant actors for appropriate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and for effective access to existing services for people with mental health and psychosocial support needs. Priority Area 4 focuses on the importance of integrating MHPSS in multi-sectoral assessments, services and ongoing programs to ensure that those most in need, incl. often overlooked and marginalized groups, have access to quality MHPSS. At the same time PA4 highlights the need for MHPSS coordination and dissemination of information between community members, MHPSS actors and non-MHPSS actors (e.g., protection, medical, nutrition, shelter, water and sanitation, food, livelihoods, education) to ensure a holistic, multilayered approach to well-being. 

Conflict, violence, disasters, and pandemics create complex challenges to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children, youth, families, and communities. In humanitarian and fragile contexts, innovative solutions are therefore essential to provide relevant, quality, and comprehensive Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS). Yet, the nature of emergencies, short-term and non-flexible funding, and challenges in effective coordination across sectors often impedes innovation in these settings. Priority Area 5 presents how Nordic actors can play a key role in championing innovation in MHPSS, building upon successes and learnings from diverse actors implementing innovative approaches to support the mental health and wellbeing of children, youth, families, and communities in humanitarian and fragile contexts.