The impact of psychosocial support on well-being and agency within an inclusive livelihood programme

Abstract

After 7 years of a multifaceted conflict, effective humanitarian assistance for people living in Syria is vital. This action research explores the extent to which psychosocial support (PSS) impacts the well-being and agency of Syrian farmers benefitting from livelihood. Our methodology used a baseline and endline survey towards a target population of households receiving agricultural inputs, with both an experimental and control group. Five dimensions of well-being were considered: emotional, social, economic, skills and knowledge and overall feeling. The key findings are: A stand-alone livelihood programme does in fact have a positive impact on psychosocial well-being; An integrated PSS and livelihood programme, as expected, has a positive impact on psychosocial well-being; There is larger comparative impact of an integrated PSS-livelihood programme compared to a stand-alone livelihood programme for beneficiaries; We learned that compared to those without disabilities, beneficiaries with disabilities experienced a larger benefit from PSS. These results strongly suggest that an integrated approach providing PSS alongside livelihood interventions has added-value for vulnerable persons to restore their resilience. The results of this pilot study would need to be confirmed by a larger scale study to validate the findings. Key implications for practice Measure of the impact of psychosocial interventions in conflict settings. New model of livelihood programme. Focus on people with disabilities in armed conflicts.

Keywords

• agency
• disability
• livelihood
• psychosocial support
• syria