{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T11:04:27Z","timestamp":1789383867012,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789344000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":256,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Disaster med. public health prep."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Individuals who experience psychological distress during acute emergencies require timely and effective psychosocial support. This study explores operational and systemic hurdles faced by mental health and psychosocial (MHPSS) practitioners worldwide to inform sustainable, contextually appropriate responses, policy development, and intersectoral collaboration.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Materials and Methods<\/jats:title>\n This study utilized a mixed-method survey. Participants (N = 45) were MHPSS staff and delegates covering four continents. Quantitative data were gathered through the ranking of operational, health-system, and government-level barriers, while qualitative data from open-ended questions were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n Top-ranked barriers were low awareness of the benefits of MHPSS, lack of prioritization within the health system, and absence of relevant policies for local authorities. Qualitative analyses identified themes including systemic under-prioritization, workforce quality-capacity gaps, and operational access constraints. MHPSS is frequently viewed as non-essential (a \u201cnice-to-have\u201d rather than lifesaving), resulting in delayed funding and fragmented coordination.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n The findings aim to inform policy development and intersectoral collaboration. Recognizing MHPSS as a fundamental, lifesaving element of humanitarian efforts is essential to improve response effectiveness and foster long-term resilience. Strengthening understanding and collaboration across sectors can ensure that MHPSS is prioritized alongside physical health, ultimately promoting recovery during emergencies.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1017\/dmp.2026.10429","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T10:18:13Z","timestamp":1789381093000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Challenges of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in Acute Emergencies: A Survey Study of MHPSS Practitioners"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2241-1017","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"See Heng","family":"Yim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02zhqgq86","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"The University of Hong Kong"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00mn56c32","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"British Red Cross"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah","family":"Davidson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00mn56c32","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"British Red Cross"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Omar Salih","family":"Rasheed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/04h4t0r16","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"International Committee of the Red Cross"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"S1935789326104297_r6","volume-title":"IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings","year":"2007"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13033-020-00431-1"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r1","unstructured":"1. UNHCR. Coordination in Complex Emergencies. n.d. https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/publications\/coordination-complex-emergencies"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r2","volume-title":"Malaria Control in Humanitarian Emergencies: An Inter-Agency Field Handbook","year":"2013"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/intqhc\/mzg031"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781036232078.n9"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r5","unstructured":"5. The Sphere Association. The Sphere Handbook: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response. 4th ed. The Sphere Association; 2018. www.spherestandards.org\/handbook"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r15","unstructured":"15. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. A Guide to Psychological First Aid. MHPSS International Movement Hub. MHPSS International Movement Hub; n.d. https:\/\/mhpsshub.org\/resource\/a-guide-to-psychological-first-aid-for-red-cross-red-crescent-societies\/"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r14","unstructured":"14. World Health Organization. Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Guideline for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders. 2023. https:\/\/www.who.int\/teams\/mental-health-and-substance-use\/treatment-care\/mental-health-gap-action-programme"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(23)00128-6"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r7","first-page":"e5","article-title":"Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of mental health and psychosocial support programmes following natural disasters in developing countries: a systematic review","volume":"11","author":"Rowe","year":"2024","journal-title":"Glob Ment Health (Camb)."},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/intqhc\/mzm042"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijregi.2024.100396"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(19)30934-1"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r16","unstructured":"16. International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Integration of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. 2024. https:\/\/mhpsshub.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/PAA1-Integration-of-MHPSS-Consultation-report.pdf"},{"key":"S1935789326104297_r4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/15248380231156198"}],"container-title":["Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/services\/aop-cambridge-core\/content\/view\/S1935789326104297","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,14]],"date-time":"2026-09-14T10:18:17Z","timestamp":1789381097000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/product\/identifier\/S1935789326104297\/type\/journal_article"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"references-count":16,"alternative-id":["S1935789326104297"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/dmp.2026.10429","relation":{},"ISSN":["1935-7893","1938-744X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1935-7893","type":"print"},{"value":"1938-744X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"article-number":"e150"}}