Problem Management Plus (PM+) is a psychological intervention that aims to improve mental health, functioning and psychosocial well-being of adults impaired by distress in communities exposed to adversity. This includes people recovering or in the midst of humanitarian crises. It can be used to reach many people with common mental health problems in a range of countries, cultures and contexts. Importantly, PM+ has been tested and found effective in large randomized controlled trials. It can be used in both health and social sectors, and delivered by both professional and non-professional workers. Humanitarian organizations are increasingly showing interest in training using this approach and guidance on rolling it out. The high interest in PM+ is indicative of the search by humanitarian agencies for an evidence-based but practical interventions to support the large numbers of people showing debilitating signs of mental disorder.
In March 2018, Terre des hommes (Tdh), a Swiss-based relief and development organization, in collaboration with the Psycho-Social Services and Training Institute in Cairo (PSTIC), organized capacity training on PM+ in Cairo. The event was attended by staff from Action contre la Faim (ACF), CBM, the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), International Medical Corps (IMC), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Médecins du Monde (MdM), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Psycho-Social Services and Training Institute in Cairo (PSTIC), Terre des hommes (Tdh), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Health Organization (WHO) and a range of independent consultants. The training covered use of PM+ in real-life contexts and explored ways to scale up the intervention. Approaches to training others in PM+ were also covered.
As a result, there is now a first-time cohort of PM+ trainers and clinical and programme supervisors who are able to establish PM+ implementation plans across many organizations for scale up in development and humanitarian contexts. The training will also allow the WHO and other agencies to draw on a roster of independent PM+ consultants who can do PM+ training in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. To support this process, the project will establish an online community of practice to offer organizations ongoing guidance in implementing the intervention. The implementation and scaling up of PM+ will likely help to reduce mental suffering and improve the well-being and functioning of people affected by adversity, including conflicts and other humanitarian disasters.