Motion:
Mental health specialist professionals with regional experience - when available in the context - must be included in the decisions on interventions related to this specialty and thus be systematically inserted in the planning and implementation of operations carried out from the beginning. In order to destigmatize Mental Health care and to ensure full understanding of the relevance of the participation of these professionals, MSF decision makers in the field should be instrumentalized with a broader, more integrated and culturally sensitive vision regarding mental health and psychosocial care role in projects, considering local, regional and national specificities.
Background and explanation:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a term used to refer to a variety of activities directly or indirectly related to the promotion of well-being, quality of life and health care. In the field of emergencies, epidemics and disasters, there has been a consensus for years on the existence of serious effects generated on the mental health of populations, currently also corroborated by the various events experienced with the Covid-19 pandemic.
MSF, as a medical-humanitarian organization, is known to have experience and model projects in the area of mental health. However, it is still observed today that the segment continues to occupy a secondary place within the operations. Sometimes, it is observed that mental health ended up becoming a knowledge characterized as less important in operational decisions, and for this reason, seen as stigmatized in front of other areas of specialty in health. Despite the advances experienced by the organization in recent years, we understand that there is still a need to strengthen mental health care as an integral part of MSF operations.
There is still a need to ensure greater investment in mental health permanent education projects at all levels of operations and not only for professionals in mental health field, but also aimed at the managers of the projects where mental health care is inserted.
In Brazil’s case, which has a universal health system, a historic and qualified experience of mental health care and psychosocial care, a network of diversified public services for mental health care, as well as technologies and professionals specialized in this type of intervention, it is evident the need to value these local resources in the planning, intervention and strategies evaluation processes carried out in the different operations.
Thus, in view of the above and, as we understand as a movement, that mental health is a fundamental part of comprehensive health care, both thinking about the patient and caring for the professionals involved in it.
MSF Brazil GA