Review Of The Current Evidence Base For Mental Health And Psychosocial Support (Mhpss) In Emergencies

This rapid review examines what MHPSS interventions are being implemented in emergency settings and how strong the evidence behind them is. Of 553 screened studies, 39 met inclusion criteria. Key findings by layer of the RCRC MHPSS Framework: At the basic psychosocial support level, Psychological First Aid (PFA) and child-friendly spaces (CFS) are widely used but lack robust evidence — no RCTs exist for either in emergency settings. At the focused psychosocial support level, the evidence is strongest: Problem Management Plus (PM+), Self-Help Plus, Narrative Exposure Therapy, and CETA all have multiple RCTs demonstrating moderate to large effects on depression, anxiety, and PTSD, often delivered by trained lay providers. At the psychological support level, interventions like TF-CBT, EMDR, IPT, and CPT show promising high-quality evidence, particularly when culturally adapted. At the specialised mental health care level, no relevant studies were found, largely due to ethical and operational barriers. Cross-cutting themes: Cultural adaptation matters but is rarely documented in enough detail to allow replication. Training and supervision of lay providers are critical but inconsistently reported. CISD, despite some positive RCT findings, is flagged as potentially harmful and is generally discouraged. Gaps and recommendations: The review calls for better monitoring and evaluation systems during emergencies, longer-term follow-up studies, greater geographical diversity in research, and a clearer standardisation of the RCRC Framework's definitions to improve comparability across contexts