The Challenge of Simple Questions: Positioning Refugee Mental Health in the Global Health Agenda

Abstract

To position refugee mental health more effectively on the developing global health and humanitarian agendas requires effective communication in policy‐making processes. The capacity to answer three simple but demanding questions arguably determines the readiness of those working in this field to seek such influence. Reviewing current knowledge on the global context of refugee mental health with respect to the questions ‘What is the need?’, ‘What can we do about it?’ and ‘Will it work?’ suggests significant conceptual advance in this area over the last decade, and increasing consensus on broad intervention strategy. It remains important to document impact more effectively, however, if policy‐makers are to be persuaded to invest more resources in promoting mental health interventions with displaced and war‐affected populations.