A mind vaccine against
trauma and adversity
Protect your mind
We vaccinate against the flu at ~30% protection.
This is ~50% — and free.
Free · 47 languages · A few minutes per day
Start in your language
Illustrated guide + guided audio exercises. Everything you need.
The evidence
In clinical trials with people who had experienced severe traumatic events and adversity, this program reduced psychological distress by up to ~50%.
Syrian refugees facing active conflict: depression reduced by 45%, PTSD by 54%, anxiety by 49%. (World Psychiatry, 2022)
South Sudanese refugee women without pre-existing mental health conditions: 84% lower risk of developing a new mental health condition. (BMJ Open, 2023)
These results come from the group version of the program — Self-Help Plus (SH+) — run by trained non-specialist facilitators. The same skills are published as a self-guided course, Doing What Matters in Times of Stress (DWM), which this page makes available, with WHO audio where it exists. Self-help can work even without support and is endorsed in WHO’s recommendations, though guided use is more effective (WHO, 2026). In recent trials that began care with a lightly guided version of the self-help course, roughly one in four to one in three people improved enough to not need a more significant intervention (World Psychiatry, 2025; BMJ Mental Health, 2023). If a facilitated version runs near you, it's worth seriously considering — otherwise, doing it with a friend can help with commitment and follow-through.
The group version has been tested in trials involving more than 1,800 people across several countries. Effects appear strongest when the trauma is severe and ongoing. It doesn't work for everyone — some trials showed limited effects — but importantly, no worsening or intervention-related harm was reported in any trial (Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 2022; Royal Society Open Science, 2021). Many have benefited from it — and it may help you as well.
Built for real-world access
Why we host this
The WHO created something remarkable — a program that can meaningfully protect people from the psychological damage of severe trauma — and released it under a Creative Commons licence that allows it to be adapted to local needs and shared freely. We're deeply thankful for that generosity. But the program can be hard to find, scattered across institutional sites, and difficult to access on the older devices common in crisis zones. We built this platform to remove those barriers. No cost, no registration, no credit cards collected.
References
- World Health Organization. Psychological self-help interventions: delivering self-help for individuals, featuring Step-by-Step and Doing What Matters in Times of Stress. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026.
- Acarturk C, Uygun E, Ilkkursun Z, et al. Effectiveness of a WHO self-help psychological intervention for preventing mental disorders among Syrian refugees in Turkey: a randomized controlled trial. World Psychiatry. 2022;21(1):88–95.
- Augustinavicius J, Purgato M, Tedeschi F, et al. Prevention and promotion effects of Self Help Plus: secondary analysis of cluster randomised controlled trial data among South Sudanese refugee women in Uganda. BMJ Open. 2023;13(9):e048043.
- Turrini G, Purgato M, Tedeschi F, et al. Long-term effectiveness of Self-Help Plus in refugees and asylum seekers resettled in Western Europe: 12-month outcomes of a randomised controlled trial. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. 2022;31:e39.
- Riello M, et al. Effectiveness of self-help plus (SH+) in reducing anxiety and post-traumatic symptomatology among care home workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial. Royal Society Open Science. 2021;8(11):210219.
- Mediavilla R, Felez-Nobrega M, McGreevy KR, et al. Effectiveness of a mental health stepped-care programme for healthcare workers with psychological distress in crisis settings: a multicentre randomised controlled trial. BMJ Mental Health. 2023;26:e300697.
- Purgato M, Tedeschi F, Turrini G, et al. Effectiveness of a stepped-care programme of WHO psychological interventions in a population of migrants: results from the RESPOND randomized controlled trial. World Psychiatry. 2025;24(1):120–130.
These individuals and organizations helped carry this program to communities in crisis — through broadcasts, outreach, and the willingness to amplify a message when it mattered most.
- Alireza Hekmatshoar
- Asr Emrooz
- Ben Spaloss
- Daniel Truran
- Debbie Amini
- Francoise Le Goff
- Laureline Soler
- Martina Crepaz
- Radio IRAN KIRN 670 AM
- Soheil Alimadad
- Steven Hayes
If you are in immediate danger
This program builds skills over time — it is not a crisis intervention. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact emergency services (911 in the US) or a crisis hotline.
Information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. This information is not a substitute for advice from your healthcare professional. Do not use information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, prescribing medication, or selecting any treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this web site. Viewing or using this website DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and any clinician affiliated with this website. None of the content constitutes advertising or endorsement of any treatments, products, or services. Information and statements regarding treatments, unless otherwise explicitly stated, have not been necessarily evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. Third-party content hosted on this site, including WHO materials, is provided as a public service and does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with the originating organization. In emergencies, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.