Report to Congress on Development and Humanitarian Assistance Accounts for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programming Section 7019(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. K, P.L.117-328) and the Accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement
Introduction
Consistent with Section 7019(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. K, P.L.117-328) and the accompanying Joint Explanatory Statement, USAID and the Department of State jointly submit this report on development and humanitarian assistance accounts for mental health and psychosocial support programming.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) activities play a crucial role in achieving the goals of USAID and the Department of State. Mental health symptoms and conditions are directly associated with poor education outcomes; substance abuse and misuse; poor early childhood development outcomes; poor treatment uptake and outcomes for HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and other infectious diseases; increased incidence of non-infectious diseases, including heart disease and diabetes; poor nutrition; and poor maternal, newborn, and child health.
Mental health symptoms and conditions also impact the service providers and program implementers that we rely on to drive development and humanitarian progress. Recognizing the significance of children's mental health to long-term well-being across the life-span, USAID and the Department of State place importance on addressing the mental health needs of children and their caregivers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 50 percent of global mental health issues originate before the age of 14. Tragically, WHO reported that suicide ranks as the fourth leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 29, and it remains a significant cause of mortality among those under 15. Extensive research demonstrates that MHPSS interventions aimed at youth between the ages of 10 and 29 yield positive outcomes in terms of mental health and psychosocial well-being.
