Implementing sport and physical activity across each layer of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) pyramid for populations affected by displacement

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) and sport are increasingly recognized as integral parts of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programming within humanitarian response, for people affected by forced displacement. Nonetheless, the programming and implementation of physical activity within MHPSS responses remains inconsistent and largely ad hoc.. In this Short Communication, our team of multidisciplinary authors including academics, and practitioners from disciplines of psychiatry, psychology, physical therapy and sport for development, examine the implementation of sport and PA more broadly, across each layer of the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) MHPSS Pyramid. We demonstrate how PA can be implemented at each layer, to improve MHPSS outcomes in humanitarian settings. We outline examples of how PA is being implemented across the IASC MHPSS pyramid, from ensuring access to inclusive and enabling environments (Layer 1), to strengthening participation in community-based PA and sport initiatives (Layer 2), delivering targeted programs with intentional mental health outcomes (Layer 3), and providing specialized physical activity promotion within clinical mental health services (Layer 4). This Short Communication provides guidance for humanitarian actors on integrating sport and PA across each layer of the IASC MHPSS pyramid.