Developing and Evaluating the Nurturing Families Intervention in Jordan: Summary of Key Methods and Findings

Summary

In humanitarian contexts, various stressors affect the family – displacement, poverty, increased violence, direct trauma, psychological distress. Caregivers are exposed to diverse stressors, can have high rates of distress, and may struggle to provide responsive and effective parenting. Families are a key protective or risk factor that are often overlooked. Programs working at the individual child or parent level, while important, do not address complex family challenges. Yet, family approaches are seldom conducted or evaluated. The main research question was “Does the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) intervention enhance the well-being of persons affected by forced migration due to armed conflict?” Sub-questions were: Active ingredients: What factors make the MHPSS intervention effective? Enhancers of MHPSS effectiveness: Under which conditions can those factors best develop their full potential? Inhibitors of MHPSS effectiveness: What barriers can limit the effectiveness of the MHPSS intervention and how can they be mitigated?