How does Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) address the intersecting vulnerabilities of high-risk populations in disaster settings and contribute to equitable, resilience-oriented recovery? Research confirms that disasters disproportionately affect those already exposed to structural vulnerabilities. Guided by international standards (e.g., WHO; IASC), MHPSS is now central to disaster risk reduction frameworks, promoting a multi-tiered approach tailored to diverse needs. Yet disaggregated data on high-risk populations remain scarce, evaluative focus is limited, and theorization underdeveloped and often reduced to single-identity categories.
Amid escalating disaster risks, the INCLUDE-MHPSS project advances an intersectionality-informed approach to MHPSS in disaster mitigation. It pursues four goals: (1) to address current gaps in knowledge by generating comparative, disaggregated data on the extent to which MHPSS reaches—or fails to reach—high-risk populations;
(2) to advance theoretical frameworks that more effectively reflect intersecting needs and equity-driven approaches to MHPSS;
(3) to design targeted models tailored to the specific needs of high-risk groups; and
(4) to generate a culturally responsive, context-sensitive MHPSS tools designed for use by researchers, service providers, and policymakers.
A comparative analysis will focus on three disaster-prone, high-income countries—Japan, Italy, and Australia—where structural inequalities still limit equal access to MHPSS despite strong institutions and consolidated healthcare systems. A mixed-methods approach will combine quantitative analysis to evaluate MHPSS uptake, outcomes, and disparities, with qualitative research with MHPSS professionals and vulnerable populations to identify underlying barriers and highlight effective, context-specific practices. The project will deliver an integrated, intersectionality-informed INCLUDE-MHPSS platform for inclusive MHPSS in disaster mitigation.
Amid escalating disaster risks, the INCLUDE-MHPSS project advances an intersectionality-informed approach to MHPSS in disaster mitigation. It pursues four goals: (1) to address current gaps in knowledge by generating comparative, disaggregated data on the extent to which MHPSS reaches—or fails to reach—high-risk populations;
(2) to advance theoretical frameworks that more effectively reflect intersecting needs and equity-driven approaches to MHPSS;
(3) to design targeted models tailored to the specific needs of high-risk groups; and
(4) to generate a culturally responsive, context-sensitive MHPSS tools designed for use by researchers, service providers, and policymakers.
A comparative analysis will focus on three disaster-prone, high-income countries—Japan, Italy, and Australia—where structural inequalities still limit equal access to MHPSS despite strong institutions and consolidated healthcare systems. A mixed-methods approach will combine quantitative analysis to evaluate MHPSS uptake, outcomes, and disparities, with qualitative research with MHPSS professionals and vulnerable populations to identify underlying barriers and highlight effective, context-specific practices. The project will deliver an integrated, intersectionality-informed INCLUDE-MHPSS platform for inclusive MHPSS in disaster mitigation.