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Home-based psychosocial wellbeing activities for children, teens and parents
School closings, sick friends and family members, isolation at home – these and other factors can cause
anxiety and stress for children during a crisis, including a global health pandemic or conflict. This guide aims to increase children’s resilience and wellbeing through activities that can be done in the
home with a little support from parents and caregivers. The activities outlined in this book will support
stress management, emotional learning, creativity, parent/caregiver – child relationships, relaxation and
problem-solving techniques, allowing open discussions around difficulties while also increasing individual capacity to cope in fun and creative ways.
MIND MATTERS Lessons from past crises for child and adolescent mental health during COVID-19
“Too many children and young people, rich and poor alike, in all four corners of the world are experiencing mental ill health as we have never seen before. This is the silent emergency of our times. It has no borders and requires urgent attention”. Henrietta H Fore
One area of child development that is most affected by the pandemic is child and youth mental health and well-being, the umbrella term used to describe psychosocial and emotional wellbeing. Although the term ‘youth mental health’ by itself does not have either a negative or positive connotation, it is used in reference to mental disorders among children and adolescents such as psychosis, anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Concern for youth mental health was rising before the pandemic, with global prevalence rates of common disorders already very high. Although comprehensive data on mental health since COVID-19 struck is hard to come by, emerging data and studies suggest that the pandemic is exacerbating many common mental disorders.
You may be worried about friends and family in Afghanistan
You may be worried about friends and family in Afghanistan and don’t know what to do.
Pictures and news of the current situation in Afghanistan are disturbing and can be triggering or bring flashbacks.
We share your concern for the situation and your worries for the people in Afghanistan. If you yourself feel anxious or triggered by the situation and have trouble functioning, we offer this information on how to cope.
Stabilization techniques and grounding exercises are some tools to calm yourself.
It may be helpful to know a little bit about trauma and what type of mental and physical reactions that are common if you have experiencing trauma or extreme stressors, both for people experiencing trauma and for friends and relatives.
Mental health and psychosocial support for resettled refugees
This document aims to inform decision-makers and practitioners about the main psychosocial responses of
refugees to each phase of the resettlement process. It also presents the role of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the process, and provides practical recommendations and resources for decision-makers and practitioners to help them in providing mental health and psychosocial support to refugees
in each of these phases
Sexual violence against men and boys in the Syria crisis
As the civil war in Syria further deteriorates, accounts of systematic human rights abuses continue to emerge,
including torture, starvation, and widespread sexual violence against civilians and combatants. More than five
million refugees have fled to neighbouring countries in search of safety, yet they continue to face challenges
of poverty, discrimination, as well as sexual violence and exploitation. Some attention has been given to
women and girls who have suffered sexual violence in Syria and in displacement; however, less is known
about male survivors, including ways to meet their needs.
https://www.hhri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Sexual-violence-against-men-and-boys-in-Syria-.pdf
The Human Aspect
Learn from hundreds of people from around the world, that has opened-up and been vulnerable so that you can connect, in the world’s first life experience library. Search through and explore now and you will find hundreds of in-dept video interviews evolving around the raw answers to these 3 questions:
1. What has been your life’s toughest challenge?
2. How did you overcome it?
3. What have you learned?.
Particularly relevant for MHHRI is the collection of interviews with people who have experienced war and conflict – https://thehumanaspect.com/?category=War%20%26%20conflict#feed
Weapon of war: Sexual violence against children in armed conflict
This report presents the very first quantitative analysis of the risk of sexual violence against children in conflict for the period 1990–2019. The report flags remaining data gaps, shortcomings in child-centred and gender-responsive service delivery, and impunity for these crimes. Our findings also show the urgency of the broader call for gender equality and child rights, including increased focus on girls’ empowerment initiatives, recognising that girls are disproportionately affected. Sexual violence in conflict is a weapon, whether it is used tactically or opportunistically. While children face increasing risk of sexual violence in conflict, the international community struggles to adequately address this human rights violation. The scale and gravity of sexual violence against children in armed conflict call for immediate and concerted action by the UN, states, donors, the humanitarian community, researchers and civil society to meet their obligations to ensure children are safe from harm.
https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/18763/pdf/weapon-of-war-report_final.pdf
Colombia Democratic Republic of Congo Iraq Somalia South Sudan Syria Yemen
My hero is you
This video is an adaptation of the children’s book, My Hero is You, released in early 2020 to help educate children around the world about COVID-19. The original book was created by mental health and psychosocial support experts from the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the highest-level humanitarian coordination forum of the United Nations.
A team, led by Stanford Medicine’s Maya Adam, adapted the story into a short animated film, with input and oversight from the IASC Mental health and Psychosocial Support Reference Group, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The film aims to convey messages of hope, resilience, solidarity, and empowerment to children and their caregivers around the world.
Consent for kids
Consent is like being ruler of your own country…population: YOU. This is a smart, playful guide to consent and bodily autonomy. There is an upcoming book, based on this video that’s packed with bright and energetic illustrations. Readers will learn about boundaries and how to set them; signs of healthy (and unhealthy) relationships; ways to respect themselves and others; how to spot grooming behaviors; what to do if someone makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe; and much more. Along the way, they’ll be encouraged to reflect on (and improve!) their own behavior and to practice consent in their daily lives. Whether you’re looking for a consent primer to share with a friend or searching for a way to talk to your child about what it means to be in control of their own body and respect others’, look no further! This humorous and insightful book from the co-creator of the viral “Tea Consent” video is the perfect teaching tool, conversation starter, and insightful, empowering resource for educators, kids, and families everywhere.
You can see the video here.
International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Issues (IPSYNET)
The network acilitate and support the contributions of psychological organizations to the global understanding of human sexual and gender diversity, to the health and well-being of people around the world who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual or intersex(LGBTI), and to the full enjoyment of human rights by people of all sexual orientations, gender expressions, gender identities and sex characteristics.