THE IMPACT OF THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE POPULATION

Abstract

The article identifies the threats to the mental health of the population under the influence of the humanitarian crisis. The category "humanitarian crisis" of the principles and purpose of humanitarian actions has been operationalized. It is substantiated that the psychological impact of humanitarian crises includes psychological problems at both the individual and public levels after an emergency, as well as the impact on available psychological resources. Psychological stress (eg, grief, etc.), mental health problems (eg, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, etc.) and individual difficulties in daily activities have been shown to increase in crisis situations. It is emphasized that the consequences of humanitarian crises are changes in habitual behavior, destruction of public and social ties, and traditional support mechanisms may be weak or destroyed, which increases the level of deprivation and anxiety. The peculiarities of the consequences of the destructive effects of military conflicts and terrorist actions, such as endemic horror, suspicion, guilt and depression, are described. The general analysis of the psychosocial context allowed us to identify important of these interventions at different levels: community, family and individual, with adapted and complementary approaches. It is shown that psychological vulnerability refers to a situation where a severe crisis will affect the psychological and behavioral functioning of a person, based on his initial environment, the degree of impact of a critical event and susceptibility to injury. Psychosocial resilience is defined as the psychological ability to recover from one or more potentially traumatic events and to function well despite stress, distress, and adversity. It depends on the risk factors and factors of protection of the individual and the situation (internal and external resources). The more significant the risk factors, the fewer people can easily endure. Humanitarian interventions should focus on all factors of protection at the economic, social and psychological levels by strengthening or creating resources. Humanitarian crises, especially as a result of hostilities, have been shown to have a strong psychosocial impact on communities, families and individuals. Failure to do so means limiting analysis, understanding of emergencies and needs, and deploying adequate / tailored assistance and support. Knowledge of psychosocial change, the dynamics and needs of emergencies can better integrate this analysis into interventions and therefore suggest more effective and sustainable action.