Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Response to COVID-19 outbreak

• When you hear the term “psychosocial support” what comes into your mind?
• Define the term “Psychosocial”?
• Why is it important to mainstream psychosocial care and support in children’s programs, activities or interventions? Explain.
• Define resilience in your own words
• Mention at least 5 psychosocial care and support related concepts?
• How can psychosocial care and support knowledge help you in your work with children, family and community?

• Optional Training Videos
• Background
• Rationale
• Goal
• Learning Outcomes
• Sessions, learning tasks and content
• Psychosocial Support
• Mental Health

This first training module includes three optional training videos to learn more about mental health and psycho-social concepts and models. Trainings videos are in Swahili. Please note that data charges apply for streaming video. You do not need to watch these videos to complete the training module, but they will help improve your comprehension and learning. - Video 1 - Video 2 - Video 3

When you finish watching, return to this page to continue your training module.

• COVID-19 Virus was first discovered in 2019 in China. The first case of COVID-19 in Tanzania was reported in March 2020
• Symptoms of the virus can include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
• The virus is transmitted through direct contact with respiratory droplets of an infected person (generated through coughing and sneezing). Individuals can also be infected from and touching surfaces contaminated with the virus and touching their face (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth).

In any emergency, common responses of people affected (both directly and indirectly) might include: - Fear of falling ill and dying - Avoiding approaching health facilities due to fear of becoming infected while in care - Fear of losing livelihoods, not being able to work during isolation, and of being dismissed from work - Feeling powerless in protecting loved ones and fear of losing loved ones because of the virus - Fear of being socially excluded/placed in quarantine because of being associated with the disease (e.g. stigma against persons who are from, or perceived to be from, affected areas) - Feelings of boredom, loneliness and depression due to being isolated - Fear of being separated from loved ones and caregivers due to quarantine regime

The constant fear, worry, uncertainties and stressors in the population during the COVID-19 outbreak can lead to long-term consequences within communities, families and vulnerable individuals: - Deterioration of economies and stigma towards surviving patients - Possible higher emotional state, anger and aggression against government, frontline workers, children, spouses, partners and family members (increase of family and intimate partner violence, negative gender stereotyping, gender based violence in public spaces) - Possible mistrust of information provided by government and other authorities

• Within the context of an outbreak it is vital to provide psychosocial support to individuals (men and women), families, and communities to enable them cope, develop resilience, but also discern between truth and misleading information.
• Extreme states of anxiety, stresses, social stigma and discrimination associated with COVID-19 affect the psychosocial wellbeing of people affected.
• Provision of psychosocial support during the outbreak has proven to help prevent the disease from spreading

Psychosocial support team which involves: - Government Social Welfare Officers - Social Workers from partners - Clinical and Community Psychologists - Risk Communication and Health Promotion experts - Community Development Officers - Community based Volunteers - Religious leaders - Influential People in Community - Community Leaders and - Psychiatric Medic such as - Clinical Officer and - Nurses

• Reaching out to communities in order to identify affected people, and those who are vulnerable
• Address social stigma and discrimination of affected people
• Provide psychosocial support to the affected people in all social and psychological needs
• Assess affected people for psychological conditions and advise or link them to treatment interventions
• Promoting the establishment of relevant committees, such as District Women’s and Children’s - -Protection Committees and providing guidance on how they (committees) can mainstream PSS in their plans.
• Develop plan of action and ensure reporting about psychosocial activity to respective subnational taskforces.
• Enhance psychosocial wellbeing of affected people and other COVID-19 front line workers
• Network with other service providers for psychosocial care of people affected by COVID-19.
• Participate in dissemination of appropriate COVID-19 messages including through IEC communication materials
• Communicating with other institution for supporting families of affected individuals (social service needs or material support)
• Engaging other social welfare structures to facilitate restoration of livelihood activities in post epidemic phase.

To enhance capacity of PSS team in offering Mental Health and psychosocial support to individuals, groups, families and community affected by COVID-19.

At completion of this training, participants will be able to: - Describe the basics of COVID-19 cause, transmission, signs and symptoms and prevention - Demonstrate practical skills to provide psychosocial support to people and community members who are psychologically affected in COVID-19affected communities - Apply relevant PSS tools to psychologically support individuals and communities affected by COVID-19 - Link PSS clients with other relevant services depending on their needs

• The psychosocial effects of COVID-19 emergency on children, families and communities
• Client Systems for the Provision of Psychosocial Care and Support Service
• Guiding Principles for Provision of PSS Services
• Procedures for Provision of Psychosocial Support (Basing on National PSS Guidelines)

Click the link below to continue your learning module: