Global Happiness and Humanitarian Assistance

This chapter discusses and explores the significance and role of happiness in humanitarian assistance and global health work. It discusses the incorporation of happiness-based approaches and psychoeducation in well-being alongside humanitarian assistance interventions. The consideration of happiness should not be separate from humanitarian assistance, but part of trauma and intervention work. Depression is one of the greatest issues worldwide and currently causes the largest number of days of disability. Depression hinders health and development and is currently considered one of the most important health issues by the World Health Organization. It is also forecasted to continue to be the number one health issue worldwide into the foreseeable future. Psychoeducation and well-being strategies are effective ways to implement larger scale interventions to help decrease trauma, depression and acute stress due to humanitarian crisis and poverty.