Symposium: Scalable psychological support for people affected by adversity
The global mental health treatment gap remains vast, with the majority of people with mental health conditions in some countries lacking access to adequate care. This gap is especially pronounced among populations affected by adversity—such as those facing poverty, violence, conflict, or humanitarian crises—who often encounter the greatest barriers to support due to under-resourced health systems and limited availability of mental health workforce.
Scalable psychological interventions have emerged as a promising solution to bridge this gap. These interventions are designed to be feasible and effective in low-resource settings and can be delivered by non-specialists or through self-help formats, making them accessible to large populations (e.g. Problem Management Plus [PM+] developed by WHO). Evidence shows that such approaches can effectively reduce symptoms of common mental disorders among people facing adversity.
This symposium will bring together researchers and clinicians to discuss scalable psychological interventions for people affected by adversity.
This is a unique opportunity to learn from experts in the field, exchange ideas, and network with professionals dedicated to advancing mental health support for underserved populations.
Researchers, students, clinicians, and implementers of psychological support are all invited to join this in-person symposium.
Program
13:00–13:30 — Walk-in
13:30–13:40 — Opening
Prof. dr. Marit Sijbrandij (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
13:40–14:00
Dr. Mark van Ommeren (World Health Organization)
14:00–14:20
Prof. dr. Atif Rahman (University of Liverpool)
14:20–14:40
Prof. dr. Trudy Mooren (Utrecht University & ARQ Centrum ‘45)
14:40–15:00 — Break
15:00–15:20
Dr. Samrad Ghane (Parnassia Groep)
15:20–15:40
Anne de Graaff (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam & World Health Organization)
15:40–16:00
Sam Hunaidy (Consultant)
16:00 — Closing Remarks
Prof. dr. Marit Sijbrandij
