The MHPSS Collaborative is represented at the Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures Conference in Cape Town, South Africa on 19 and 20 may 2026, where Deepali Pavagadhi, MHPSS and Research Advisor, contributes to two sessions focused on advancing child and adolescent mental health and psychosocial support in crisis and humanitarian settings.
Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures 2nd Global Conference on Child and Adolescent Mental Health, brings together more than 350 researchers, practitioners, policymakers, youth advocates, civil society leaders, private sector representatives and international organisations from around the world. Its focus on bold ideas, cutting-edge research, practical innovation, multisectoral collaboration and youth participation aligns closely with the mission of the MHPSS Collaborative: to strengthen the evidence, practice and systems that support the mental health and wellbeing of children, adolescents and families, particularly in contexts affected by crisis, displacement and adversity.
Deepali’s participation marks an important opportunity to share research from the MHPSS Collaborative’s work with partners in Ukraine and Jordan. Across both presentations, she will help bring forward evidence on how schools, communities, play and sport can contribute to psychosocial wellbeing for children and young people affected by conflict and displacement.
Thriving through Play
On Tuesday 19 May, Deepali will co-present findings from a mixed-methods evaluation of Thriving Through Play, a play-based MHPSS teacher training programme implemented across Ukraine in partnership with the LEGO Foundation and Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science. The study is co-authored and presented by Rena Deitz, New York University; Deepali Pavagadhi, the MHPSS Collaborative; Oksana Zabolotna, Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University; and Ashley Nemiro, World Health Organization.
The study focuses on outcomes of Thriving Through Play and experiences of integrating MHPSS within classrooms across Ukraine. Findings showed statistically significant improvements in knowledge, attitudes and skills related to play-based mental health and psychosocial support among both teachers and trainers. The research also highlighted the importance of school-level support and peer support in helping teachers integrate mental health and psychosocial support into daily practice, while identifying challenges such as limited resources, time constraints and insufficient systemic support.
Coaching for Life
On Wednesday 20 May, Deepali presents findings from a mixed-methods quasi-experimental study of Coaching for Life, a football-based psychosocial intervention for children and youth in Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. The study was conducted in collaboration with Save the Children Jordan and Save the Children UK, with funding from The Arsenal Foundation. It was co-authored by Deepali Pavagadhi, the MHPSS Collaborative; Laila Abdul Majeed, Save the Children Jordan; and Leen Awad, Save the Children Jordan.
The study examined the impact of Coaching for Life on social connectedness, social behaviour, gender norms, early marriage and school dropout. While quantitative evidence of causal impact was inconclusive, qualitative findings pointed to meaningful individual-level improvements in psychosocial and gender-related outcomes, including stronger friendships, a greater sense of belonging, improved social-emotional skills, increased appreciation of gender equality and positive shifts in attitudes towards girls’ participation in sport. Gender and culturally sensitive adaptations to the program were not only critical for participation, but potentially also played a role in improving outcomes.
Together, the two sessions reflect the MHPSS Collaborative’s commitment to generating and sharing evidence on approaches that are practical, contextually grounded and responsive to the realities of children and adolescents living through crisis. They also underline the importance of partnerships across education, humanitarian action, research, sport and community systems in supporting mental health and wellbeing.
By contributing to the Bold Ideas for Brighter Futures Conference, Deepali Pavagadhi and the MHPSS Collaborative will help advance global conversations on how evidence-informed, child-centred and collaborative approaches can strengthen support for young people where it is needed most.
