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Sports: An innovative tool to support refugee mental health
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The Sport for Refugees Coalition hosted a virtual panel discussion in June to explore the role of sport in mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).

Experts from different sectors and disciplines shared their knowledge and expertise on this cross-cutting topic, discussing how to increase recognition of the role of sport and physical activity in supporting people's mental health and well-being in situations of forced displacement and how to encourage collective action of major stakeholders.

The session was part of a series of webinars organised by the three co-conveners of the Sport for Refugees Coalition: the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF), and the SCORT Foundation. As part of the "sport for protection" approach promoted by the Coalition, these initiatives are fully embedded in their common effort to support the development and protection of displaced young people through sport.

Improving refugee psychosocial well-being through sports

The webinar, held on 28 June 2022, discussed the role of sport in supporting mental health and psychosocial outcomes for young refugees and others affected by forced displacement. The panel discussion, which was moderated by Noorzai Ibrahimi, himself an Afghan refugee and Programs Officer at Skateistan, brought together viewpoints of young people with lived experience, leading academics, practitioners and representatives from the sport sector.

In their interventions, panellists highlighted the valuable role of sport in achieving positive outcomes for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), especially for forcibly displaced persons and how this connection between physical activity, mental health, and psychosocial well-being is increasingly being acknowledged on a global scale.

Peter Ventevogel, Senior Mental Health Officer at UNHCR, discussed how sport can play an active role to achieve MHPSS outcomes, in particular relating to reducing suffering and increasing collective and individual well-being of forcibly displaced persons. "In the common M&E framework for MHPSS in emergency settings, the outcomes are both community- and person focused. Sport is a key driver to protect and promote psychosocial well-being and prevent and treat mental health conditions."

Simon Rosenbaum, Scientia Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney alluded to the strength of the evidence on the link between physical activity and mental health in a non-displacement context. For instance, World Health Organisation (WHO) and other national governments’ guidelines on promoting mental health and physical exercise to ease depression symptoms. Similarly, in displacement contexts, physical activities can be particularly beneficial, especially for those who are often the most marginalised, including women and people with disabilities. "Our priority should therefore guarantee their inclusion in sport programmes," he suggested.

Karen Mukiibi, Deputy Executive Director of Youth Sport Uganda, shared her experience from the field to embed sport-based programming as a component of MHPSS. One key element of successful programmes is having well-trained coaches. “Coaches play a fundamental role, as they build positive relationships with children, helping them to speak out and address the triggers through sport activities.” In their programme, Youth Sport Uganda proactively trains refugee youth to become coaches. “Their contribution is vital because children relate with their personal experiences and are more open and willing to participate in sports activities.”

Samer Jouba, Training Officer and Project Coordinator at Right to Play Palestine, shared some perspectives from his experience in the field working on sport-based interventions. He raised the question of the role of capacity-building as one of the key elements of the successful use of sport-based programming as part of MHPSS. Another important aspect of a successful programme, according to Samer, is involving the parents and giving them an active role. He underscored that “Implementing long-term physical activity patterns are fundamental for target groups. In fact, the regularity that sport provides helps children feel safe and stable. This can be done through constant support from families and trainers.

Nathalie Metheuver, Programme developer and Master Trainer at Team Up Global, War Child Holland addressed the need to implement sport activities within MHPSS programming in an emergency situation. “These interventions should be implemented at an early stage to create a sense of normalcy and build children's resilience,'' she recommended. This is critical because sport activities can allow parents and coaches to establish important connections with children, which can in turn help them to release the tension accumulated after having experienced traumatic events. 

Strengthening coordination by sharing best practices on sport and MHPSS

To finalise the discussion, Maria Bray, Child Protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial Advisor at Terre des Hommes, presented the outcomes of ORF Think Tank’s project ‘’to create better access to good practices for sport and MHPSS programming.’’

The ORF Think Tank has collated and made accessible existing guidance and tools targeting practitioners looking to deliver MHPSS outcomes through sport. The collection of resources will be made available on an online platform.

Key findings from the analysis of existing resources and tools suggest that only a small portion are developed by youth, produced in the global south, and explicitly gender inclusive. These factors risk limiting their accessibility and efficacy, and a result there is a need to develop more diverse resources to reflect different viewpoints and address current limitations.

According to ORF Think Tank, more inclusive resources and tools are likely to lead to greater uptake on the use of sport as a tool to support MHPSS outcomes.

What is the ORF Think Tank?

The Think Tank was established in 2020 with the aim of promoting knowledge, understanding and uptake of sport as a tool to support the protection and inclusion of young people in situations of forced displacement; and specifically in relation to the interface of sport with mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). The Think Tank is a forum bringing together experts from leading academic institutions, NGOs, UN agencies, the private and public sectors, and youth representatives to generate and communicate high-quality practical and evidence-based recommendations to inform policy and practice.

For more information on the Think Tank's work or to access the resource collection, please contact the Sport for Refugee Coalition ([email protected]) or the ORF ([email protected]).