Jan. 16th, 2020, Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) Leadership and Strategic Management Institute PhD Student Vilma Miglinė successfully defended her dissertation, "Effective Management of Psychological Support in Case of Emergencies."

Emergencies disrupt the functioning of the affected population. Stress during the event can cause health problems. Although Lithuania is relatively less sensitive to threats, the number of events that can lead to emergencies is increasing. It is important to understand that chaotic and non-specific psychological support can lead to profound damages. That is why all measures must be carefully planned.

Psychological interventions have their own specificities, which should be taken into account, when developing an effective system for managing mental health support in case of emergencies. Through both preventive and curative action, psychosocial support can build psychosocial resilience in the society. Therefore, effective coordination and delivery of psychosocial interventions are crucial.

In the PhD, the problem is analysed from the perspectives of management sciences and public health sciences. After summarising the review of available literature and the results of the empirical study measures were highlighted. They could be taken to increase the effectiveness of management of the area under consideration.

The PhD also discusses public attitudes towards such measures of psychological interventions as acceptability and funding and what is important to consider when planning effective interventions.

Findings of the study are important for planning psychological interventions in a specific population with its unique cultural specificity.