Heartbeat of Humanity

This episode of Heartbeat of Humanity is the fourth and last episode in a mini-series about the mental health of children and young adults in the contexts of emergencies or conflict with child and adolescent psychiatrist Brett McDermott.In this episode, MHPSS Adviser Arz Stephan talks to Brett  about who among children  and adolescents - or people in general - need further support following a natural hazard.Brett is an Australian child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is head of Tasmania's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and professor at the University of Tasmania. Brett has led several post-disaster programs in Australia to better support young people experiencing the trauma of floods, cyclones, bushfires and storms. His approach has influenced post-disaster interventions globally.Brett is currently a visiting scholar at the MHPSS hub. 

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Adviser Arz Stephan talks to Brett McDermott about how parents and caregivers can help children get through the first year after a natural hazard.Brett is an Australian child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is head of Tasmania's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and professor at the University of Tasmania. Brett has led several post-disaster programs in Australia to better support young people experiencing the trauma of floods, cyclones, bushfires and storms. His approach has influenced post-disaster interventions globally.Brett is currently a visiting scholar at the MHPSS hub. This episode of Heartbeat of Humanity is the third in a four-episode mini-series about the mental health of children and young adults in the contexts of emergencies or conflict.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Adviser Arz Stephan talks to Brett McDermott about how parents and teachers can help children after a natural hazard.Brett is an Australian child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is head of Tasmania's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and professor at the University of Tasmania. Brett has led several post-disaster programs in Australia to better support young people experiencing the trauma of floods, cyclones, bushfires and storms. His approach has influenced post-disaster interventions globally.Brett is currently a visiting scholar at the MHPSS hub. This episode of Heartbeat of Humanity is the second in a four-episode mini-series about the mental health of children and young adults in the contexts of emergencies or conflict.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Adviser Arz Stephan talks to Brett McDermott about mental health, natural hazards and children. Brett is an Australian child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is head of Tasmania's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and professor at the University of Tasmania. Brett has led several post-disaster programs in Australia to better support young people experiencing the trauma of floods, cyclones, bushfires and storms. His approach has influenced post-disaster interventions globally.Brett is currently a visiting scholar at the MHPSS hub. This episode of Heartbeat of Humanity is the first in a four-episode mini-series about the mental health of children and young adults in the contexts of emergencies or conflict.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Monia Aebersold and Kristofer Vernmark explains the concept and the benefits of digital MHPSS and present the digital MHPSS toolkit availble on the MHPSS Hub website.Monia is the MHPSS Project Manager in charge of psychosocial support services at the Swiss Red Cross with 20 years of experience in the field of displacement and migration. She holds a Master degree in Social Work and Social Development and she is Head of the Sui SRK App project, a digital service providing psychological and psychosocial support to refugeesKristofer is a Digital mental health expert with 20 years of experience working in private, public, and academic sectors. Kristofer holds a PhD in Psychology and he is currently a researcher at Linköping University. He is the founder and Chair of the National Association for Digital Psychologists, and member of the Swedish MHPSS network.You can find the digital MHPSS toolkit here: https://mhpsshub.org/about-us/focus-areas/digital-mental-health-and-psychosocial-support-mhpss/The podcast Heartbeat of Humanity is mainly for staff and volunteers in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, especially staff and volunteers working in mental health and psychosocial support services.Listen to the podcast here or subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast or wherever you find your podcasts.Find more episodes of Heartbeat of Humanity.

In this third and final episode in a podcast series about ‘feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space' MHPSS Hub, Senior Communication Officer, Villads Zahle interviews Team Lead for the Technical Unit at the MHPSS Hub, Sarah Harrison.Almost 300 aid workers were killed in 2024 – the largest number in history. Additionally, more than 220 were wounded and more than 90 kidnapped.These dire numbers reflect a shrinking humanitarian space. A situation worsening over the last decade where it is increasingly challenging to deliver aid unhindered and safely.  This has serious direct implications for humanitarian staff and volunteers but also increases the pressure of those responsible for the security within our organizations.In this three episode podcast series we will discuss the mental challenges and coping mechanisms of the people who are working to keep their colleagues safe.  The podcast Heartbeat of Humanity is mainly for staff and volunteers in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, especially staff and volunteers working in mental health and psychosocial support services.Listen to the podcast here or subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast or wherever you find your podcasts.Find more episodes of Heartbeat of Humanity.

In this second of three episodes in a series about ‘feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space' MHPSS Hub, Senior Communication Officer, Villads Zahle interviews former Communication Team lead for a large humanitarian INGO, Iben de Neergaard.Almost 300 aid workers were killed in 2024 – the largest number in history. Additionally, more than 220 were wounded and more than 90 kidnapped. These dire numbers reflect a shrinking humanitarian space. A situation worsening over the last decade where it is increasingly challenging to deliver aid unhindered and safely.  This has serious direct implications for humanitarian staff and volunteers but also increases the pressure of those responsible for the security within our organizations. In this three episode podcast series we will discuss the mental challenges and coping mechanisms of the people who are working to keep their colleagues safe.     

In this first of three episodes in a series about 'feeling responsible for the safety of colleagues in a shrinking humanitarian space' MHPSS Hub, Senior Communication Officer, Villads Zahle interviews Danish Red Cross, Senior Security Adviser, Sabina Brimson. Almost 300 aid workers were killed in 2024 – the largest number in history. Additionally, more than 220 were wounded and more than 90 kidnapped. These dire numbers reflect a shrinking humanitarian space. A situation worsening over the last decade where it is increasingly challenging to deliver aid unhindered and safely.  This has serious direct implications for humanitarian staff and volunteers but also increases the pressure of those responsible for the security within our organizations. In this three episode podcast series we will discuss the mental challenges and coping mechanisms of the people who are working to keep their colleagues safe.     

In this third and final episode of our miniseries on Ambiguous Loss, we dig deep with Roubina Tahmazian from ICRC into the critical yet often overlooked topic of children's wellbeing in the context of families of the missing. Too often, the needs and emotional wellbeing of children are sidelined as families grapple with the uncertainty and challenges of missing loved ones, with no or very limited support from the surrounding. Roubina Tahmazian, clinical psychologist and MHPSS delegate for the ICRC , shares her insights drawn from her experience working with families of the missing across different countries. Her compassionate perspective enlighten us on ways to prioritize children's support while navigating complex family dynamics during such difficult times.

In this second episode in a three part miniseries about ambiguous loss, MHPSS Technical Advisor Arz Stefan talks to Dr. Maureen Mooney about operationalising ambiguous loss in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.Dr. Maureen Mooney is a clinical psychologist. She worked in the French Red Cross and the ICRC supporting the Restoring Family Links programme and psychosocial integration.

In this first episode in a three part miniseries about ambiguous loss, Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Hub MHPSS Technical Advisor Arz Stephan engages in a thought-provoking interview with Dr. Pauline Boss, an esteemed research therapist and author. Dr. Boss is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in the field of ambiguous loss, a concept she introduced to describe the unique and often unresolved experienced when a loved one is missing, physically absent but emotionally present, or vice versa. Her groundbreaking work has shaped understanding and therapeutic approaches to loss, resilience, and coping in complex and uncertain situations.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Technical Advisor Shona Whitton talks with Associate Professor Emmanual Raju from the University of Copenhagen about the role of memory in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and recovery and how memories of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami influenced DRR work in India.This is the final episode in a four-part series of Heartbeat of Humanity reflecting on the impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis.  Resources mentioned in the podcast: Learning from memories and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the future Disasters: Deconstructed podcast, ‘Radical' Disaster Studies? 

In this episode, MHPSS Technical Advisor Shona Whitton talks with Professor Emeritus Mike Wessells from Columbia University about developments in MHPSS programming and practice following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamis, including the development of the IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings. This is the third episode in a four-part series of Heartbeat of Humanity reflecting on the impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis. Resources mentioned in the podcast:IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings

This is the second episode in a four-part series of Heartbeat of Humanity reflecting on the impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis.  In this episode, MHPSS Technical Advisor Shona Whitton talks with Ananda Galappatti, co-founder and co-Director of MHPSS.net about the impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on MHPSS work in Sri Lanka and the legacy of this work on global MHPSS practice. Resources mentioned in the podcast: IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings Intervention Journal Psychosocial Work in the Aftermath of the Tsunami: Challenges for Service Provision in Batticaloa, Eastern Sri Lanka Responding to the psychosocial impact of the Tsunami in a war zone experiences from northern Sri Lanka Sri Lanka's post-Tsunami psychosocial playground lessons for future psychosocial programming and interventions following disasters Workshop report, Lessons Learned on the psychosocial response to the Tsunami 

This is the first episode in a four-part series of Heartbeat of Humanity reflecting on the impacts of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis.   In this episode, MHPSS Technical Advisor Shona Whitton talks with Dr Dewindra Widiamurti, Regional Health Program Delegate with the Finnish Red Cross, about her experiences working in Aceh Province with Pelang Merah Indonesia (Indonesian Red Cross) after the 2004 tsunami, her reflections on MHPSS practice at the time, and how this work shaped her career. 

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Ahlem Cheffi, PS Centre MHPSS technical advisor for the MENA region talks to Nisreen Qawas, MHPSS director for the Palestinian Red Crescent and Rim Alsakkaf, Psychosocial Support and Protection manager at the Yemeni Red Crescent about Caring for staff and volunteers when the workplace is a warzone. 

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Ahlem Cheffi, PS Centre MHPSS technical advisor for the MENA region explains the concept of supportive supervision. Supportive supervision is a safe, supportive, confidential and collaborative relationship between a supervisor and supervisee, and/or supervisees where supervisees can voice their difficulties, discuss challenges and be recognized for their successes, receive constructive feedback and emotional support, and build their technical skills and capacity, and enhance quality of service provision.For the World Mental Health Day, it is important de remember that supportive supervision is part of duty of care to ensure the safety and well-being of their staff and volunteers.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Technical Advisor Shona Whitton talks to Antonia Mackay about how communities can build resilience to climate disasters and other shocks and hazards.Antonia Mackay is the National Resilience Manager at Australian Red Cross, where she leads the organisation's disaster resilience programming, including key initiatives like emergencyRedi workshops and Redicommunities.Resources mentioned in the podcast:Navigating the climate crisis: Mental health and well-being report https://pscentre.org/resource/navigating-the-climate-crisis-mental-health-and-well-being/Practical help and resources to use before, during and after emergencieshttps://www.redcross.org.au/emergencies/Red Cross RediPlanhttps://www.redcross.org.au/emergencies/resources/

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Technical Advisor Shona Whitton talks to Ana Mejia about mental health and the climate crisis.Ana Mejia is a former member of the Youth Advisory Group of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, and a volunteer from the Ecuadorian Red Cross. Ana leads a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support team in the local Red Cross branch and she recently started to work as a consultant with the health team of the Red Cross Climate Centre. Resources mentioned in the podcast:https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA77/A77_R14-en.pdfhttps://hub.connectingclimateminds.org

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Technical Advisor Shona Whitton talks to John Richardson about disaster preparedness, disaster resilience and disaster risk reduction. And why it is a problem calling fires, floods and storms ‘natural disasters'.  John Richardson is the Manager of Knowledge Development at the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience. Prior to his current role, John worked as the National Resilience Advisor with Australian Red Cross for more than 16 years. 

English text belowDans cet épisode de Heartbeat of Humanity, Arz Stephan, conseiller technique SMSPSS, s'entretient avec Ahlem Cheffi, conseillère technique de SMSPS, sur les concepts de « dilemme éthique » et de « blessure morale » et sur leur impact sur les travailleurs humanitaires, y compris le personnel et les bénévoles de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge, qui font souvent partie des premiers intervenants. Une blessure morale est définie comme une détresse psychologique qui peut survenir dans le cadre du travail humanitaire, à la suite d'une exposition à des événements potentiellement moralement préjudiciables qui remettent en question notre morale et nos systèmes de croyance.La blessure morale produit des sentiments d'impuissance, de désespoir et de honte. Le contraste entre la mission altruiste et humaine et les dures réalités auxquelles sont confrontés les travailleurs humanitaires peut conduire à une profonde détresse émotionnelle. ---In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Technical Advisors Arz Stephan interviews MHPSS Technical advisor Ahlem Cheffi about the concepts of 'ethical dilemma' and 'moral injury' and how they impact humanitarian workers including Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers who are oftenamong the first responders. A moral injury is defined as a psychological distress which may happen around humanitarian work, following exposure to potentially morally injurious events that question our values and moral. Moral injury produces feelings of helplessness, despair and shame. The contrast between the altruistic and human mission and the harsh realities faced by aid workers can lead to profound emotional distress. An ethical dilemma occurs when the humanitarian imperatives to help others, save lives or alleviate suffering conflicts with the other humanitarian principles like the impartially or the neutrality. The ethical dilemma arises when the available resources, obligations and choices in a specific situation do not allow an ethical outcome.

In this episode Communication Officer at the IFRC PS Centre, Villads Zahle interviews project manager, Erni Kristiansen and project consultant, Bebbie Petersen about youth to youth Psychological First Aid (PFA) in Greenland. 

In this episode Communication Officer at the IFRC PS Centre, Villads Zahle interviews emergency expert and MHPSS technical advisor, Shona Whitton about the newly published Training Guide on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies. Shona outlines the potential of the new guide in the context of her professional experiences in emergencies and the mental health implications for exposed individuals and communities.  

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Sarah Kate van der Walt, Technical Adviser in the IFRC Psychosocial Centre and Monia Aebersold MHPSS, International Focal Point from the Swiss Red Cross, will be talking with Rebecca Horn Independent MHPSS Specialist on the importance of MHPSS evidence building in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The episode introduces the MHPSS Evidence Building Toolkit and discusses challenges of National Societies with evidence-building and shows pathways to overcome these with best practice examples.   MHPSS evidence building toolkit: https://pscentre.org/resource/mhpss-evidence-building-toolkit-repository/MHPSS evidence building report: https://pscentre.org/resource/promoting-mhpss-evidence-building-package-report/IASC MHPSS M&E Helpdesk webpage: https://mehelpdesk.mhpss.net/

In this episode Communication Officer at the IFRC PS Centre, Villads Zahle interviews Moaaz Allahham, a young Syrian man forced onto an irregular route to Europe, Maria Marga, an activist working for Collective Aid to assist people on the move at Serbia's border with the EU, and Sarah Harrison, an IFRC PS Centre expert on the pressures, stress and mental health implications of ongoing abuses along EU borders.       

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Trine Rosa Larsen interviews Kenya Red Cross MHPSS practitioners Soony Wendy, Leyla Semkiwa, and Albert Migowa about the new KRCS MHPSS Framework, operating the toll-free 1199 helpline, mental health stigma in Kenya, suicide prevention, methadone clinics, the El-Nino floods, and caring for staff and volunteers. 

 In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Jesper Guhle interviews MHPSS Technical Advisors Arz Stephan and Anna Goloktionova about the concepts of 'survivor guilt' and 'moral injury' and how they impact people including Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers who often are among the first responders. In a time where people, either in person or on social media, are witnessing many devastating armed conflicts in Armenia, Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine - to mention a few, as well as one environmental crisis after another with earthquakes and floods - understanding these concepts can help protect our mental health and navigate feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness. Survival guilt and moral injury are psychological phenomena spread around humanitarian work, where the contrast between the altruistic mission and the harsh realities faced by aid workers can lead to profound emotional distress. Survival guilt arises when individuals feel an overwhelming sense of culpability for having survived a crisis or conflict while others did not. In humanitarian contexts, this guilt may stem from witnessing the suffering and loss experienced by the populations being assisted.Moral injury, on the other hand, is a deeper psychological wound resulting from actions or witnessed events that transgress one's ethical or moral beliefs. Humanitarian workers may struggle with moral injury when faced with the inherent dilemmas of providing aid in complex, often volatile environments. The difficult decisions made to prioritize resources or navigate ethical quandaries can haunt individuals long after the mission ends.Addressing these psychological challenges is crucial for the well-being of aid workers and the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts. Support systems such as buddy systems or peer-to-peer support groups, debriefing sessions, and adequate resources play pivotal roles in mitigating the impact of survival guilt and moral injury.Furthermore, organizational policies need to acknowledge and proactively address these issues to foster a trauma-informed humanitarian workforce. For more information:Research in this field includes articles such as "The Psychological Impact of Providing Care to Traumatized Populations" (Smith et al., 2019), "Moral Injury in Humanitarian Aid Workers" (Williamson et al., 2020), and reports from renowned institutions like the World Health Organization and Médecins Sans Frontières. Understanding and mitigating survival guilt and moral injury are imperative for sustaining the mental well-being of those dedicated to alleviating global suffering, including: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2022/06/13/aid-worker-emotions-can-obstruct-meaningful-local-humanitarianism-localisation/

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, IFRC Psychosocial Centre Technical Advisor Ea Suzanne Akasha talks to Mozhdeh Ghasemiyani, psychosocial focal point at MSF Denmark, about how we can support children during conflicts or disasters.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Head of MHPSS Technical Unit Sarah Harrison and Dr. Frédérique Vallières, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Trinity Centre of Global Health, introduce the Mental Health & Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Emergencies micro-credential. The course aims to equip learners with critical skills for the development, management, and monitoring of mental health and psychosocial support programming in humanitarian emergencies. The Mental Health & Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Emergencies micro-credential: https://www.tcd.ie/courses/microcredentials/mhpss-in-humanitarian-emergencies/ 

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Trine Rosa Larsen interviews MHPSS Technical Advisor Shona Whitton about memorials, what they are, and what are some of the things that should be considered when wanting to achieve a permanent memorial - because - what do you do when for instance family members want their loved ones to be remembered when perhaps survivors or the local community at the place where the crisis happened want nothing more than to forget and move one? Have a listen and find out. 

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Trine Rosa Larsen is warming up to October 10 (World Mental Health Day 2023) by interviewing three very different people who work with MHPSS and youth. Take a listen to Louise Graabæk (Danish Red Cross Youth), Paul Klahre (World Organisation of the Scout Movement), and Fouad Sayed Issa (Head of Violet - a youth volunteer-run organisation in Syria) when they talk about why it is important to involve young people in MHPSS, how to do it, and what some of the mental health challenges faced by youth are today. Do you want to know more? See the resources below:- Danish Red Cross Youth tool - PFA for young peers (2023) - Scouts in humanitarian response for Ukraine, Six month Situation Report April - August 2022 https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/uact-scouts-humanitarian-response-ukraine-six-month-situation-report-april-august-2022 - Global Youth Mobilization. Final Impact Report - Executive Summary. 2023. https://globalyouthmobilization.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/GYM-Executive-Summary-2023.pdf- WHO Youth Council: https://www.who.int/initiatives/who-youth-engagement/who-youth-council

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Jesper Guhle interviews Co-Chair for the IASC Reference Group for MHPSS in Emergencies  Carmen Valle-Trabadelo about the linkage between Mental Health and Human Rights.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, MHPSS Technical Adviseer Arz Stephan interviews IFRC PS Centre Director Nana Wiedeman about the importance and challenges of caring for the carers.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, PS Centre Project Officer Veronika Dietz interviews Dr Sarah Miller, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist and the Program Coordinator in charge of MHPSS at ICRC,  and Louise Kryger, psychologist and the MHPSS lead in the International Department of the Danish Red Cross. Sarah and Louise explain how access to mental health & psychosocial support services across the continuum of care can be achieved. The main focus of the podcast is how collaboration and coordination can contribute to provide adequate and complementary services according to the identified needs.The tools mentioned in the podcast can be found on the PS Centre website: https://pscentre.org/what-we-do/mhpssroadmap/#toolsIn the podcast, Veronika mentions a webinar: Creating access to MHPSS across the continuum of care. The webinar is held on 18 September 9:00 CET. Find more information and signup on the PS Centre website.

In 2022, Danish Red Cross and IFRC jointly commissioned an external evaluation of the work of the PS Centre for the years 2015 to 2022. The evaluation reviewed the functions and activities of the PS Centre, seeking to highlight achievements as well as challenges in fulfilling its mandate. In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, mental health and psychosocial health specialist and external evaluation consultant Rebecca Horn presents the evaluation results.- See a Summary of the report.- Evaluation of the IFRC Psychosocial Centre – A review of activities and functions 2015-2022

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Arz Stephan and Guleed Dualeh, MHPSS Technical Advisors with the PS Centre discuss the importance of and how to ensure wellbeing for Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers.

In this podcast of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer, Trine, interviews Guleed Dualeh, IFRC PS Centre MHPSS Technical Advisor for the African Region and the Psychological First Aid focal point on Guleed's recent trip to Kenya, where he sat down with Red Cross MHPSS focal points for Kenya and South Sudan, Dorcas Khasowa (KE) and Marcos Tabule (SS), to talk about challenges and achievements of working with mental health in the Eastern African context. 

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, IFRC Psychosocial Centre Communications Officer Jesper Guhle interviews Bethan McEvoy, MHPSS delegate for the Danish Red Cross in Ukraine, and Anna Didenko, Head of the MHPSS Unit in the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, about the MHPSS needs of Ukrainians and the Red Cross response one year into the Russia-Ukraine International Armed conflict.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Jesper Guhle interviews Sarah Harrison, Head of the MHPSS Technical Unit in the Psychosocial Centre, about her mental health and psychosocial support assessment in Ukraine.This episode of Heartbeat of Humanity was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the IFRC Psychosocial Centre and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, IFRC Psychosocial Centre Communications Officer Jesper Guhle explores how humanitarian actors can support the mental well-being of children in migration. Participating in the podcast: Orso Muneghina, head of the Global Programme Expert Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in SOS Children's Village InternationalChristel Voldby Winther, Program Manager of Mental Health in the Migration -and Refugee section in the National department of Danish Red CrossEa Suzanne Akasha, MHPSS Technical Adviser in the IFRC Psychosocial CentreTeresa Sorde Marti, professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University and principal investigator of the REFUGE-ED projectLinks:EPSUM: https://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/mental-health-psychosocial-support-children-in-migrationResources on Child Friendly Spaces on the PS Centre websiteREFUGE-ED: https://www.refuge-ed.eu/

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, IFRC Psychosocial Centre Technical Advisor Ea Suzanne Akasha focus on the mental health and psychosocial needs in Afghanistan. Ea talks to MHPSS Technical Advisor Diana Rahimi about  working in a marastoon, and Danish Red Cross MHPSS delegate Nives Vudric stationed in Kabul about  the plans for scaling up the  mental health and psychosocial support programs in Afghanistan.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, IFRC Psychosocial Centre Communications Officer Jesper Guhle interviews Sarah Davidson, Head of Psychosocial & Mental Health at British Red Cross, and Sarah Harrison, Technical Team Lead in the IFRC Psychosocial Centre.Sarah and Sarah are co-leading one of the five working groups within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement implementing the Movement's MHPSS commitments.  Working Group  one dedicated to Basic Psychosocial Support across Sectors.Working group one have put together resources and produced spreadsheets as part of their work. Some of the products created are: Assessment Monitoring Tools and Preparedness Plans, Resources Challenging Mental Health Stigma and Mapping of Basic PSS Training Courses.In the podcast, the MHPSS Framework is mentioned several times. Find more information about the MHPSS Famework here: https://pscentre.org/what-we-do/movement-resource-room-mhpss-policy-and-resolution/the-mhpss-framework/You can also  find more information about the work of implementing the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Roadmap, Resolution and Policy on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support on the PS Centre website: https://pscentre.org/what-we-do/movement-resource-room-mhpss-policy-and-resolution/

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity,  IFRC Psychosocial Centre Project Assistant Veronika Dietz interviews Eva Svoboda, Deputy Director of International Law and Policy of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Eva is co-leading one of the five working groups within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement implementing the Movement's MHPSS commitments,  Working Group  five, dedicated to advocating for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support and in the podcast episode Eva explains why advocating for MHPSS is so important.You can find more information about the work of implementing the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Roadmap, Resolution and Policy on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support  on the PS Centre website: https://pscentre.org/what-we-do/movement-resource-room-mhpss-policy-and-resolution/

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, IFRC Psychosocial Centre Senior Communications Advisor Jesper Guhle interviews Technical Team Lead Sarah Harrison about how Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers can implement suicide prevention services in their programmes.In the podcast, a suicide prevention guide is mentioned. Find it here: https://pscentre.org/?resource=suicide-prevention

In this episode, Technical Advisor Sarah Harrison interviews MHPSS Advisor Pernille Hansen about community mental health care and the steps staff and volunteers in Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies can take to begin working with community mental health.LinksWHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP)Podcast: Scalable Psychological Interventions

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Ea Suzanne Akasha, Technical Advisor at the IFRC Psychosocial Centre, interviews professor Dr. Barbara Juen, technical manager of the psychosocial services at the Austrian Red Cross , and psychologist Vanessa Kulcar, about the mental health of children  and young adults.

8 March is International Women's Day, a day we  commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Technical Advisor Ea Suzanne Akasha focuses on violence against women and their children. According to new studies released by WHO, More than one in four women worldwide experience intimate partner violence before the age of 50. In the first segment of the podcast, Ea interviews Maria Stetter Rubin and Mia Falconer from the Danish Red Cross. Both work with women who have been subjected to domestic violence.In the second segment, Ea Interviews Natasa Todorovic from Serbian Red Cross about violence against older women.

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Jesper Guhle explores the potential mental health consequences for people forced to migrate and what the Red Cross Red Crescent Staff and volunteers can do to support these people.Jesper interviews Villads Zahle, Senior Communications Coordinator in the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, Barly, dancer, artist, podcaster and chef, and Sarah Harrison, Technical Advisor in the IFRC Psychosocial Centre.14 minutes into the podcast, Jesper plays music from a video made by ECRE. Find the music video hereThe podcast is also available as a video podcast. Find it here

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Technical Advisor Ea Suzanne Akasha interviews Stephen Regel, Clinical Lead  for the Centre for Trauma, Resilience and Growth, about the effect of the pandemic on frontline workers and what we can do to support them. Several resources were mentioned in this podcast episode: Emotional Intelligence - Daniel GolemanHas the pandemic really caused a 'tsunami' of mental health problems? - Richard Bentall

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, IFRC Psychosocial Centre Technical  Advisor Eliza Cheung interviews Technical Advisor Melanie Powell about vaccine hesitancy - what is vaccine hesitancy and what should be the response.Melanie Powell is the author of the training module Psychological First Aid for vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19, part of the training toolkit Psychological First Aid in the COVID-19 Outbreak response. The module is developed for people who have taken part in the basic training and have a foundational knowledge of Psychological First Aid and how it can be applied in the response to the COVID-19 crisis.Read more and find the training module here: https://pscentre.org/16053-2/This Heartbeat of Humanity episode is also available as a video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b2x4RpZYNY&t=667s

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Technical Advisor Ea Suzanne Akasha interviews Pablo Suarez,  Associate Director for Research and Innovation at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre about the link between climate change and mental health and psychosocial support.PublicationsIn the podcast, several resources are mentioned:From Darkness to Illumination: Climate Grief and Resilience in a Sea of Warningshttps://climatecentre.org/downloads/files/Grief%20for%20KIC%20-%20deliverable%20%282020-01-13%29.pdf“Understanding Risk” session on climate and mental healthhttps://understandrisk.org/from-darkness-to-illumination-climate-grief-and-resilience-in-a-sea-of-warnings/The podcast Heartbeat of Humanity is about mental health and psychosocial support.The podcast is mainly for staff and volunteers in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, especially staff and volunteers working in mental health and psychosocial support services.Listen to the podcast here or subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast or wherever you find your podcasts.