The recent pandemic of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to create uncertainty, stress and worry among the general population worldwide. The significant mental and psychosocial effects of such emergency situations include the feelings of intense distress due to catching the virus; physical isolation of affected individuals, families or communities; social isolation and stigmatization of the members of the population exposed to the virus (e.g., social stigma), decline of income, loss of family and community members and the collapse of economic activities. All of these effects are potential risk factors for poor mental health and can adversely impact psychosocial well-being of individuals infected by COVID-19. The constant feelings of fear, worry and stress in this target population can lead to long-term consequences for health and wellbeing and the possibility of interfering with treatment and quarantine. Therefore, it is important to provide MHPSS to this high-risk group of population.


We aimed to develop online MHPSS support system to provide evidence-based psychosocial intervention to individuals affected by COVID-19 in Pakistan. We adapted the WHO illustrative guide, “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress” for online delivery in Pakistan. It is a free, online self-help application based upon the intervention content that can be accessed through a mobile responsive website using a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smart phone. It consists of self-paced content which an individual can complete in a weeks-time. The online course is expected to take approximately 2 hours to complete. The online platform can be accessed.