Implementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria

Objective: We describe the challenges confronted and lessons learned in implementing mental healthcare during the Syrian war to inform effective services for conflict-affected Syrian populations. Materials and Methods: We searched the academic and gray literature. We draw on the experiences of Syria...

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Autores principales:	Mohammad Khalid Hamza, Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2021
Materias:	conflict mental health refugee syria trauma violence Medicine R
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/89f1027720a549a08a5ac23479de4a91
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:89f1027720a549a08a5ac23479de4a912021-12-02T14:49:26ZImplementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria2231-07702249-446410.4103/ajm.ajm_141_20https://doaj.org/article/89f1027720a549a08a5ac23479de4a912021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.4103/ajm.ajm_141_20https://doaj.org/toc/2231-0770https://doaj.org/toc/2249-4464Objective: We describe the challenges confronted and lessons learned in implementing mental healthcare during the Syrian war to inform effective services for conflict-affected Syrian populations. Materials and Methods: We searched the academic and gray literature. We draw on the experiences of Syrian-American mental health professionals with nine years of experience providing clinical and programmatic mental healthcare in combat settings, siege, internally displaced person camps, and refugee camps. Results: Collaboration with nonprofessional personnel was essential due to the shortage of formally trained mental healthcare professionals in Syria. The use of psychological and diagnostic terms increased stigma, whereas asking about the patient’s identified problem, “suffering,” or “challenges” supported engagement. War-related trauma and horizontal violence commonly affect Syrian children, adolescents, and adults. Resilience and engagement were enhanced by sensitivity to patients’ dignity, religious acceptance, and faith. Conclusions: The Syrian war remains an ongoing public health and humanitarian crisis in which mental healthcare must adapt rapidly to specific needs and resources of the patient and community. Psychiatrists can increase the acceptability and efficacy of their care by being sensitive to Syrian patients’ experiences of horizontal violence, loss of dignity, stigma, worldviews in which religion and faith may be important sources of resilience, and culturally acceptable modes of communication.Mohammad Khalid HamzaMadelyn Hsiao-Rei HicksThieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.articleconflictmental healthrefugeesyriatraumaviolenceMedicineRENAvicenna Journal of Medicine, Vol 11, Iss 01, Pp 8-14 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	conflict mental health refugee syria trauma violence Medicine R
spellingShingle	conflict mental health refugee syria trauma violence Medicine R Mohammad Khalid Hamza Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks Implementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria
description	Objective: We describe the challenges confronted and lessons learned in implementing mental healthcare during the Syrian war to inform effective services for conflict-affected Syrian populations. Materials and Methods: We searched the academic and gray literature. We draw on the experiences of Syrian-American mental health professionals with nine years of experience providing clinical and programmatic mental healthcare in combat settings, siege, internally displaced person camps, and refugee camps. Results: Collaboration with nonprofessional personnel was essential due to the shortage of formally trained mental healthcare professionals in Syria. The use of psychological and diagnostic terms increased stigma, whereas asking about the patient’s identified problem, “suffering,” or “challenges” supported engagement. War-related trauma and horizontal violence commonly affect Syrian children, adolescents, and adults. Resilience and engagement were enhanced by sensitivity to patients’ dignity, religious acceptance, and faith. Conclusions: The Syrian war remains an ongoing public health and humanitarian crisis in which mental healthcare must adapt rapidly to specific needs and resources of the patient and community. Psychiatrists can increase the acceptability and efficacy of their care by being sensitive to Syrian patients’ experiences of horizontal violence, loss of dignity, stigma, worldviews in which religion and faith may be important sources of resilience, and culturally acceptable modes of communication.
format	article
author	Mohammad Khalid Hamza Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks
author_facet	Mohammad Khalid Hamza Madelyn Hsiao-Rei Hicks
author_sort	Mohammad Khalid Hamza
title	Implementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria
title_short	Implementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria
title_full	Implementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria
title_fullStr	Implementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria
title_full_unstemmed	Implementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria
title_sort	implementation of mental health services in conflict and post-conflict zones: lessons from syria
publisher	Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/89f1027720a549a08a5ac23479de4a91
work_keys_str_mv	AT mohammadkhalidhamza implementationofmentalhealthservicesinconflictandpostconflictzoneslessonsfromsyria AT madelynhsiaoreihicks implementationofmentalhealthservicesinconflictandpostconflictzoneslessonsfromsyria
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Implementation of Mental Health Services in Conflict and Post-conflict Zones: Lessons From Syria

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