Caring for the Caregivers

This module aims to build front-line workers’ skills in strengths-based counselling to increase caregivers’ confidence and help them develop stress management, self-care and conflict-resolution skills to support their emotional well-being. Grounded in well-established evidence on maternal mental health, the module was developed for the UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) by expert consultants, with a series of consultations and pilot training activities in two countries: Mali and Sierra Leone. It is still in a prototype phase and is currently being validated in eight countries with a final version to be released in 2021. This resource provides guidance on MHPSS support for parents and caregivers. It can be useful when designing interventions that support youth who are parents. The resource includes an entire section on the mental health and well-being of the caregiver. This is a prototype version of the module and consists of three core manuals to guide the training and implementation process.  

A Systematic Review of the Evidence for Family and Parenting Interventions in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Child and Youth Mental Health Outcomes

Children and youth in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) are at greater risk for poor mental health. Adverse circumstances including poverty, violence, and lack of available psychological treatments increase their vulnerability. Given the importance of the family environment for child and youth wellbeing, family interventions are a powerful model of treatment; however, their development and evaluation has received relatively little attention in LMIC. This review presents evidence for family- and parent-focused interventions on mental health outcomes for children and youth in LMIC and identifies treatment components present in promising interventions.

The Time is Now: Mental Health as a Global Health Priority

On behalf of GenDev, YouthPower Learning made two presentations related to the project's adolescent mental health research. This resource contains the slide deck from the presentation to USAID’s mental health working group on "The Time is Now: Mental Health as a Global Health Priority". The presentation discussed the health implications of poor mental health, particularly for youth, and discussed opportunities for action.