A policy-driven mental health and psychosocial support in African Union Peace Support Operations: the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnel
BackgroundTo foster peace and security within Africa, the African Union Peace Support Operations (AUPSO) Division deploy personnel to volatile areas, predisposing them to physical and psychosocial problems. Though a lot is done to safeguard their physical health, their psychosocial problems have bee...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Health Services |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2025.1465236/full |
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| author | Joana Afful Larry-Afutu Kenneth Abotsi |
| author_facet | Joana Afful Larry-Afutu Kenneth Abotsi |
| author_sort | Joana Afful Larry-Afutu |
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| description | BackgroundTo foster peace and security within Africa, the African Union Peace Support Operations (AUPSO) Division deploy personnel to volatile areas, predisposing them to physical and psychosocial problems. Though a lot is done to safeguard their physical health, their psychosocial problems have been relegated, predisposing them to mental health problems.AnalysisTo address these mental health and psychosocial problems, the African Union, in collaboration with Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana developed and implemented a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) course for AUPSO personnel. Implementing MHPSS in mission areas is bedeviled with challenges, because there are no policy guidelines for MHPSS in PSOs.Policy optionsAt the behest of WHO's Action Plan 2013–2020 which encourages institutions and organizations to prioritize mental health of personnel, the United Nations adopted a mental health and well-being strategy to enhance the psychosocial wellbeing of its mission's personnel in 2018.ConclusionFeasibly, developing a MHPSS policy for PSOs would enhance the implementation of MHPSS programs in missionary areas to ensure that personnel are in a good psychosocial state to fulfil their missions’ mandate. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6a9801b132974c609fb39fb7cc751ac9 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2813-0146 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Health Services |
| spelling | doaj-art-6a9801b132974c609fb39fb7cc751ac92025-08-20T03:08:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Health Services2813-01462025-07-01510.3389/frhs.2025.14652361465236A policy-driven mental health and psychosocial support in African Union Peace Support Operations: the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnelJoana Afful Larry-Afutu0Kenneth Abotsi1Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaPeace Support Operations Division, Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department, African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaBackgroundTo foster peace and security within Africa, the African Union Peace Support Operations (AUPSO) Division deploy personnel to volatile areas, predisposing them to physical and psychosocial problems. Though a lot is done to safeguard their physical health, their psychosocial problems have been relegated, predisposing them to mental health problems.AnalysisTo address these mental health and psychosocial problems, the African Union, in collaboration with Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana developed and implemented a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) course for AUPSO personnel. Implementing MHPSS in mission areas is bedeviled with challenges, because there are no policy guidelines for MHPSS in PSOs.Policy optionsAt the behest of WHO's Action Plan 2013–2020 which encourages institutions and organizations to prioritize mental health of personnel, the United Nations adopted a mental health and well-being strategy to enhance the psychosocial wellbeing of its mission's personnel in 2018.ConclusionFeasibly, developing a MHPSS policy for PSOs would enhance the implementation of MHPSS programs in missionary areas to ensure that personnel are in a good psychosocial state to fulfil their missions’ mandate.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2025.1465236/fullAfrican UnionMental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)Peace Support Operationsmental healthpsychosocial problemswellbeing, policy |
| spellingShingle | Joana Afful Larry-Afutu Kenneth Abotsi A policy-driven mental health and psychosocial support in African Union Peace Support Operations: the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnel Frontiers in Health Services African Union Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Peace Support Operations mental health psychosocial problems wellbeing, policy |
| title | A policy-driven mental health and psychosocial support in African Union Peace Support Operations: the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnel |
| title_full | A policy-driven mental health and psychosocial support in African Union Peace Support Operations: the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnel |
| title_fullStr | A policy-driven mental health and psychosocial support in African Union Peace Support Operations: the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnel |
| title_full_unstemmed | A policy-driven mental health and psychosocial support in African Union Peace Support Operations: the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnel |
| title_short | A policy-driven mental health and psychosocial support in African Union Peace Support Operations: the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnel |
| title_sort | policy driven mental health and psychosocial support in african union peace support operations the way forward in improving the psychosocial wellbeing of peace support personnel |
| topic | African Union Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Peace Support Operations mental health psychosocial problems wellbeing, policy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frhs.2025.1465236/full |
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