In small island communities, emergencies affect far more than buildings, roads and essential services. They can leave individuals, families and communities coping with uncertainty, fear, loss and prolonged stress. For frontline health workers, the challenges can be even greater, as they support others while experiencing the impacts of the emergency themselves. For geographically dispersed island settings, where health workforces are often small and access to specialized services can be limited, strengthening mental health and psychosocial support is an important component of health system resilience and emergency preparedness.
Across the North Pacific, national health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working to ensure that mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is integrated into emergency preparedness, response and recovery. Recent activities in Yap and Chuuk States of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) demonstrate two complementary aspects of this effort: preparing health and emergency personnel before emergencies occur and strengthening frontline support during recovery.
/countries/micronesia-federated-states-of/dr_atsuro_tsutsumi_at_training_on_psychological_first_aid_and_stress_management.jpg?sfvrsn=82676f40_3 "Dr_Atsuro_Tsutsumi_at_training_on_Psychological_First_Aid_and_stress_management")
Figure 1. Dr Atsuro Tsutsumi, WHO Regional Advisor for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, leads a session on mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies in Yap State. Credit: WHO/J Vergara
Building skills before they are needed
From 20 to 24 July 2026, health and emergency personnel from FSM gathered in Yap State for a five-day training on strengthening mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies.
Participants included physicians, nurses, public health officers, Emergency Medical Team members, emergency coordinators, logisticians, social workers and other support personnel. The multidisciplinary approach is particularly important in Pacific island settings, where limited health workforces and geographic isolation can place significant pressure on health services during emergencies.
The training emphasized practical skills and operational readiness, strengthening participants’ capacity to provide mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies. Practical exercises focused on identifying and responding to psychosocial and mental health needs, strengthening referral pathways, coordination and multidisciplinary response. The programme concluded with country action planning to translate learning into stronger preparedness and response systems.
The training forms part of ongoing efforts by national and state health authorities, supported by WHO, to strengthen emergency preparedness and build resilient health systems that integrate mental health and psychosocial support before, during and after emergencies.
"For our island countries, a resilient health system depends on resilient people. We need health workers who are prepared not only to respond to physical health needs during an emergency, but also to recognize distress, provide appropriate support and know when someone needs further care. Just as importantly, we need to look after the wellbeing of those who are caring for others,” says Dr Roderico Ofrin, |
|
/countries/micronesia-federated-states-of/dr_roderico_ofrin_at_training_on_psychological_first_aid_and_stress_management.jpg?sfvrsn=9c7a2d0d_3 "Dr_Roderico_Ofrin_at_training_on_Psychological_First_Aid_and_stress_management")
Taking practical support closer to communities
Later that month, this focus on strengthening frontline capacity continued in Chuuk State, where health workers and communities were recovering from the impacts of Typhoon Sinlaku.
As part of a broader technical support mission by the FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs, the Chuuk State Department of Health Services and WHO, support focused on the recovery and resilience of essential health services, including continuity of care for noncommunicable diseases, mental health and psychosocial support, Psychological First Aid and workforce resilience.
On 30 July, Health Assistants and other frontline personnel providing dispensary and community-level services participated in practical orientation on WHO’ Doing What Matters in Times of Stress and Psychological First Aid.
Across Chuuk's dispersed island communities, Health Assistants play a vital role in maintaining access to basic health services and are often among the first people community members turn to following an emergency. The activity strengthened practical skills to recognize distress, communicate supportively, identify urgent needs and connect people with appropriate services. It also equipped participants with simple, evidence-informed approaches to manage their own stress and wellbeing while supporting others. These practical skills can support both emergency response efforts and routine community-based health services, particularly in remote island settings where frontline personnel are often the first point of contact for care.
/countries/micronesia-federated-states-of/health_assistants_and_frontline_personnel_at_training_on_psychological_first_aid_and_stress_management.jpg?sfvrsn=e20d9231_1 "Health_Assistants_and_frontline_personnel_at_training_on_Psychological_First_Aid_and_stress_management")
Figure 3 Health Assistants and frontline personnel in Chuuk State participate in practical training on Psychological First Aid and stress management to strengthen community-level support following Typhoon Sinlaku. Credit: WHO/J Verga
“Our Health Assistants are at the heart of many of our Chuuk island communities, and after any emergency people turn to them not only for health care, but also for support and reassurance. Strengthening their skills in Psychological First Aid and stress management helps us better support our communities while also protecting the wellbeing of the health workers who care for them”, said Dr Dorina Fred, Chief of Public Health, Chuuk State Department of Health Services.
Making mental health support part of emergency readiness
The experiences in Yap and Chuuk reinforce an important message: mental health and psychosocial support should not begin only after an emergency occurs, nor should it depend entirely on specialist mental health professionals.
For small and geographically dispersed island health systems, strengthening practical MHPSS skills among existing health and emergency personnel can bring support closer to communities, while stronger referral pathways can help connect people experiencing severe distress or possible mental health conditions with appropriate care.
Such investments contribute not only to emergency response capacity but also to longer-term strengthening of community-based mental health support and referral systems.
Together, the activities in Yap and Chuuk demonstrate how MHPSS can be integrated into preparedness, response, recovery and the continuity of essential health services. For the North Pacific, where emergencies can place extraordinary pressure on small health systems, strengthening the people who respond also strengthens the resilience of the communities they serve.
From building multidisciplinary preparedness in Yap to supporting recovery in Chuuk, the goal is to ensure that frontline health workers are better prepared to care for their communities while also protecting their own wellbeing.
/countries/micronesia-federated-states-of/participants_of_training_on_psychological_first_aid_and_stress_management.jpg?sfvrsn=84370734_3 "Participants_of_training_on_Psychological_First_Aid_and_stress_management")
Figure 4 Training activities in Yap and Chuuk States highlight complementary approaches to strengthening mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies — building preparedness before emergencies occur and supporting frontline workers during recovery. Credit: WHO/J Vergara