Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
Contact Info
Research Interests
mental health and psychosocial support; adversity; low- and middle-income countries; humanitarian settings; poverty; conflict; violence; disaster
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
I am interested in the interplay between science and practice in the development and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial support programs for populations in adversity in low- and middle-income countries.
With non-governmental and United Nations organizations, I have focused on strengthening needs assessments, monitoring and evaluation strategies, and conducting systematic reviews to identify best practices. In my mixed methods academic research I am particularly interested in (methods of) evaluating mental health promotion and preventive strategies. I have conducted research in Nepal, Burundi, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste.
Honors & Awards
Chaim and Bela Danieli Young Professional Award (2011, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies)
Select Publications
Selected recent publications:
Tol, W.A., Barbui, C., van Ommeren, M. (2013). Management of Acute Stress Symptoms, PTSD, and Bereavement: Recommendations from the WHO Guideline Development Group for Conditions Specifically Related to Stress. Journal of the American Medical Association, 310(5), 477-8
Tol, W.A., Song, S., Jordans, M.J.D. (2013). Annual Research Review: Resilience and mental health in children and adolescents living in areas of armed conflict: A systematic review of findings in low- and middle-income countries. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 54(4),445-60
Tol, W.A., Komproe, I.H., Jordans, M.J.D., Vallipuram, A., Sipsma, H., Sivayokan, S., Macy, R.D. & de Jong, J.T.V.M. (2012). School-based mental health intervention for children affected by war in Sri Lanka: a cluster randomized trial. World Psychiatry, 11, 114-22
Tol, W.A., Barbui, C., Galappatti, A., Silove, D., Betancourt, T.S., Souza, R., Golaz, A., & van Ommeren, M. (2011) Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: linking practice and research. Lancet, 378, 1581-91
Tol, W.A., Patel, V., Tomlinson, M., Baingana, F., Galappatti, A., Panter-Brick, C., Silove, D., Sondorp, E., Wessells, M. & van Ommeren, M. (2011). Research priorities for mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings. PLoS Medicine, 8(9), e1001096