Mapping of mental health and psychosocial support in post conflict Libya
Fitzgerald, C., Elkaied, A., & Weissbecker, I. (2012). Mapping of mental health and psychosocial support in post conflict Libya. Intervention, 10(2), 188-200.
The violent conflict that erupted in Libya and toppled the Gaddafi regime in 2011 has significantly impacted social services and the health infrastructure in the country. The influx of international humanitarian organisations has led to many initiatives to strengthen mental health care and psychosocial support services for the Libyan population. However, with a new and fragile government and many different international actors, in addition to emerging national initiatives, it was difficult to determine who was doing what. As a result, the situation was somewhat unclear. On the request of the new Libyan health authorities, the international NGO International Medical Corps conducted a 4Ws mapping (Who is Where, When, doing What) of the current mental health and psychosocial support activities in Libya that focused on vulnerable areas impacted most by the conflict. The authors, who were involved in the 4Ws mapping, describe the main results and discuss the challenges they faced. They conclude that this was a useful exercise for organising and sharing information that was previously unavailable. The tool helped link different organisations, that previously did not know which services were being offered elsewhere, and thereby contributed to a better understanding and cooperation among actors.
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