Mental health problems are commonly experienced by people living in crisis-affected countries, but few interventions are available to support such people and, for those that are, effectiveness data is limited. This study sought to understand if an evidence-based psychological intervention called Problem Management Plus (PM+) could be an effective and cost-effective solution to support people in need of psychological support in times of crisis.

The study found PM+ to improve mental health outcomes for people living in Pakistan and demonstrated likely cost-effectiveness. Informed by this evidence, PM+ has been published by the WHO and is cited in the 2018 Sphere Handbook. There is evidence that it is widely used by international nongovernmental organisation programmes around the world.