Conceptualizing a Low Resource-Low Intensity Psychosocial-SRH Integrated Intervention to Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Seeking among Young Women in Humanitarian Settings

Author(s): Melissa Harper, Chiara Servili, Rachel Vanderkruik, Felicity Brown, Batool Fatima, Lale Say, Loulou Kobeissi

Despite the availability of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in some humanitarian contexts, most young women have limited access to these services. Furthermore, many young women in humanitarian settings suffer from distress and cannot access care. In response to this double burden, WHO is conceptualizing a potentially scalable psychosocial (PSS) and SRH integrated intervention package to improve the use of selected SRH services and wellbeing among young women (aged 15-24 years) in humanitarian settings. Informed by two systematic reviews exploring the efficacy of PSS and SRH educational interventions on selected SRH outcomes (coupled with expert consultations, reviewing existing WHO PSS interventions for common mental disorders, and active community engagement), a three-tiered PSS and SRH integrated intervention package is being designed to, 1) engage young women and their social circles through community education and advocacy activities, and 2) enhance women’s socio-emotional capabilities and SRH-related knowledge and behaviours. This intervention will consist of a women groups ‘component (a package of eight-modules), a community component, and up to three sessions of focused support through home visits for vulnerable young women. This article describes the process of conceptualising the intervention package and provides an overview of the content of this PSS-SRH integrated intervention.