Scaling Psychological Interventions for Global Reach

At the first WCCBT–WHO–Africa Development Roundtable, Dr. Ken Carswell, Clinical Psychologist and WHO’s Focal Point for Psychological Interventions, Digital, and Innovation, highlighted the growing global movement to make evidence-based psychological care accessible to all — particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Drawing on decades of WHO research and implementation, Dr. Carswell described how scalable psychological interventions—programs designed for delivery by non-specialists or through digital tools—are closing the global treatment gap for mental health.

“We know we’ll never have enough mental-health professionals to meet the need,” he said. “But by developing simple, adaptable, and evidence-based tools, we can ensure that psychological support becomes accessible everywhere.”

WHO’s Scalable Interventions

Dr. Carswell presented WHO’s family of interventions that use CBT principles, including:

• Problem Management Plus (PM+): A brief, transdiagnostic program for depression, anxiety, and stress.
• Self Help Plus (SH+): A multimedia stress-management course delivered individually or in groups.
• Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: A guided self-help manual grounded in cognitive-behavioural and acceptance-based strategies.
• Step-by-Step: A digital self-help program for depression, proven effective across multiple contexts.
• EASE (Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions): Adapted for younger populations.

All are open access, supported by randomized controlled trials, and designed for cultural adaptation. Together, they provide a stepped-care model, from digital self-help to specialist-delivered therapy, adaptable to each country’s resources and needs.

Dr. Carswell underscored that these interventions are now being scaled in over 30 countries, including several in Africa, and that local adaptation and supervision are key to success.

“Our goal is not to replace specialists,” he noted, “but to use scalable interventions to strengthen systems — reaching more people, earlier, and more effectively.”

This WHO–WCCBT collaboration represents a shared commitment to translate science into action, ensuring that psychological care is not a privilege, but a global standard.