title: Children and the Sphere standard on mental and social aspects of health.
abstract: Most of the world's children live in resource-poor countries where people are at a relatively high risk of exposure to catastrophic situations arising from conflict and natural disasters.(6) Given the potential social, psychological and psychiatric consequences of exposure to disaster, mental health and psychosocial support programmes are increasingly part of humanitarian aid. A minimum standard on mental and social aspects of health is included in the recently revised Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere Handbook) (Sphere Project, 2004). Most recommendations for mental health and psychosocial interventions in guidance documents are based on expert opinion rather than research. Consequently, interventions are being implemented without full understanding of their potential benefit or harm. This paper offers a child-focused review of the evidence for each of the interventions described as indicators for the Sphere standard on mental and social aspects of health. It suggests some, but limited, support for each of them. However, the evidence base needs substantial strengthening.
authors: Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland. morrisj@who.int
authors: Jodi
authors: J
authors: Morris
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: van Ommeren
authors: Myron
authors: M
authors: Belfer
authors: Shekhar
authors: S
authors: Saxena
authors: Benedetto
authors: B
authors: Saraceno
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004189:Disaster Planning; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D011584:Psychology