Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use
Our work involves mental health promotion and the prevention of mental, neurological and substance use disorders. We support the expansion of access to affordable, quality care for everyone who needs it.

Psychological interventions

Psychological interventions (also called psychological treatments or psychological counselling) can be highly effective for many mental health conditions, particularly depression and anxiety. They can be delivered by trained and supervised non-specialists. These include community workers, volunteers and peers, as well as people with a university degree, but without specialist mental health training.

To increase access to psychological care, WHO has published a number of evidence-based psychological intervention manuals as open access, as well as other supportive resources. These include individual, group and guided self-help approaches. They have been designed to be useful and meaningful for multiple populations affected by different forms of adversity. Such interventions can be integrated into health, protection, community and other settings and used together with other forms of mental health support.

This page provides a link to key WHO resources related to the delivery of psychological interventions.

News

Feature Stories

Publications: Intervention manuals

Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE)
Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) is an evidence-based group psychological intervention to help 10–15-year-olds affected by internalizing problems...
Thinking Healthy
1 March 2015

Thinking Healthy

A manual for psychological management of perinatal depression
SELF-HELP PLUS (SH+)
23 September 2021

SELF-HELP PLUS (SH+)

A GROUP-BASED STRESS MANAGEMENT COURSE FOR ADULTS
Group Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) for Depression
Depression is an important health condition. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and it can be a cause of suicide. Depression will be the...

Publications: Training manuals

Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (‎EASE)‎: training manual for a group psychological intervention for young adolescents affected by distress
Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) is an evidence-based group psychological intervention to help 10–15-year-olds affected by internalizing problems...
The Self-Help Plus (‎SH+)‎ training manual: for training facilitators to deliver the SH+ course
The Self-Help Plus (SH+) training manual is for people or organizations wanting to train SH+ facilitators. It contains all the information needed to deliver...

Publications: Other manuals

Evidence-based psychological interventions are an important part of health, social, protection and education services and can help increase access to effective...
Scalable psychological interventions for people in communities affected by adversity
A new area of mental health and psychosocial work at WHO

Other resources