Decolonising Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Interventions in the Humanitarian System

Mental health is an increasing concern around the world, but there is a substantial gap in terms of access to quality mental healthcare between Western and non-Western countries. To help close this gap and improve the delivery of mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS), the UN’s 2016 Grand Bargain declared a new approach of prioritising the localisation of these services. This paper examines the effects of the Grand Bargain on the localisation of mental health and psychosocial support services in non-Western countries, as a means to decolonise mental health. An outcome evaluation to measure the amount of funding received by local and national agencies that provide MHPSS services in less economically developed countries was carried out. All data were gathered from the UN Financing Track System (FTS), and looked at financial contributions over time in six humanitarian sectors: health; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); gender-based violence; nutrition; protection and shelter. The results show that only 3% of international donors’ MHPSS-related humanitarian funding is received by local and national agencies between 2017 and 2021. Most of the localised MHPSS-related funding is driven by country-based pooled funds, with Middle Eastern countries as the primary beneficiaries, and localised MHPSS funding predominantly went to the health, WASH and protection sectors. This study found that limited localisation of MHPSS services in less economically developed countries, and a limited focus on community capacity building through associated humanitarian sectors. Based on this study, it is recommended that humanitarians should advocate for increased localisation and culturally competent practices in the MHPSS space.