WHO Releases Manual for Psychological Interventions

Photo:Representative Image

This guide provides practical guidance for implementing evidence-based psychological interventions, which would increase access to evidence-based treatments for more people. The manual focuses on evidence-based psychological intervention manuals delivered by non-specialist workers.

Globally, one in eight people experience a mental health condition, with depression and anxiety being the most common. However, most people do not receive any treatment due to a lack of services, limited capacity, inaccessibility, or unaffordable services. Additionally, stigma often stops people from seeking help in the first place.

Psychological interventions play an important role in reducing the vast treatment gap between the high prevalence of mental health conditions and limited access to adequate care. While psychological interventions are traditionally delivered in person by mental health specialists, brief, manualized versions of these interventions can also be effectively delivered by trained and supervised non-specialists using individual, group, or self-help approaches. 

These interventions are based on established psychological treatments, such as behavioral activation, stress management, problem-solving, cognitive-behavioral, and interpersonal therapy. 

Evidence-based psychological interventions provided by non-specialists are highly effective in treating many mental health conditions, particularly depression and anxiety. They can be delivered in many settings, including low- and middle-income countries, and are likely more scalable than psychological treatments delivered by specialists.

Integrating manualized psychological interventions into health, social, protection, rehabilitation, and education services could greatly increase access to quality mental health care.

The new implementation manual complements WHO’s series of low-intensity psychological interventions by providing practical guidance on choosing and delivering the most appropriate psychological intervention within a given context or setting.