A severe lack of funding is exacerbating Syria’s mental health crisis

Due to the stress caused by the consequences of the civil war and natural disasters, northern Syria is suffering from mental health problems, while the number of suicides is rising and the funding of services is decreasing.

A lack of treatment centers and trained psychiatrists means that many of those affected find themselves alone, in a country where mental illness is still stigmatized, patients and experts tell SciDev.Net.

The long civil war that began in 2011, as well as a series of devastating earthquakes that killed more than 55,000 people in Turkey and Syria in February 2023, have left deep scars among survivors.

The worsening economic crisis, unemployment and poverty compound the effects of these events, adding to the psychological damage, observers say.

According to the Syria Response Coordinators, suicide rates have increased significantly this year, with 104 suicides and 87 suicide attempts reported across the country.

Most of them were in northwestern Syria, where respondents reported 37 deaths and 21 suicide attempts so far in 2024, a 14 percent increase compared to the same period. last year, according to Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières / MSF).

Thoughts of torture

Forty-one-year-old Amer is one of many civilians who were imprisoned by the Syrian government during the conflict who have been released, left with memories of the horrors they faced.

Amer, who does not want to give his full name for fear of repercussions, tells SciDev.Net: “I suffered all kinds of torture, including beatings, hangings and burnings.

“When I left prison [after three years]i used to live alone and spent most of my time sleeping to escape the real pain. Even my dreams turned into nightmares.”

Others suffer from disabilities left by the war, like 23-year-old Dalal, who fled a makeshift camp on the outskirts of the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib.

“A missile from a fighter jet landed next to me and changed the course of my life forever,” Dalal tells SciDev.Net.

“I went from being a determined and hopeful young woman to a victim of war and a victim of mental and physical illness.”

For Dalal, who is now suffering from severe depression, it is impossible to forget this painful experience. He says: “I live in my own hell, I am separated from all people. I feel very tense when I hear a loud noise, because it reminds me of the sounds of shells and explosions.”

Traumatized children

Most of those burdened by these disasters are children, who have grown up in the midst of ruins and trauma, under fear and loss.

Eight-year-old MS, whose real name has been withheld to protect her, lost all members of her family in the 2023 earthquake and now lives with her aunt.

My aunt told SciDev.Net: “My nephew stayed in the rubble for more than five hours until he was rescued. Since that day, he has not adapted to reality.

“He gets scared and screams every now and then. The doctor confirmed that she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Baraa Al-Juma, a mental health specialist at the Syrian National Security Agency’s Mental Health Center, known as the White Helmets, tells SciDev.Net: “Hard living conditions, migration to ongoing, arrests, injuries and losses are all factors in the prevalence of mental illness, but early intervention can reduce the worsening of these conditions and help promote mental health.

“The most vulnerable groups are those facing ongoing challenges, such as internally displaced people, women and children, as well as frontline workers, such as rescue team volunteers,” he added. , noting the need to focus not only on treating mental illness, but also on building mental stability and adaptability among these groups.

Social stigma

Al-Juma says the social stigma surrounding mental illness prevents many people from admitting they have a problem.

Some don’t realize that mental illnesses are medical conditions that require treatment, he adds.

During the more than 13 years of conflict in Syria, mental health has been marginalized in favor of emergency health care, leaving a lack of mental health centers and services in the northwest. to the country, where hostilities continue.

The World Health Organization notes that mental health services in north-west Syria are still very poor, “located in only four health centers, and there are only two psychiatrists that serve 4.5 million citizens.”

It is estimated that around 1 million people there suffer from some form of mental illness.

Ayham Khattab, a psychiatrist with MSF in northwest Syria, tells SciDev.Net that the charity offers psychosocial support training as well as activities for children aimed at improving mental health.

Among other things, the meetings aim to eliminate the stigma associated with psychiatric medications and the misconception that mental health problems are a sign of weakness, he explains.

Financial problems

However, humanitarian support to deal with the consequences of Syria’s many disasters is facing a significant financial shortfall.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, only a quarter of the US $ 4.1 billion needed to support the humanitarian response project in northwestern Syria has been approved this year so far.

The health sector also faces a funding gap of US$471 million, with only about ten percent of needs met, according to MSF. It says shortages threaten essential health services, and mental health care may not be a priority.

“The people of northwest Syria have endured years of violence, displacement and deprivation. They need a chance to heal not only the physical wounds but also the deep, invisible psychological wounds left by this disaster,” said Thomas Balivet, head of MSF’s work in the north-west of Syria, in a report released last month.

“Investing in mental health is an investment in a sustainable future where people can live again.”

Al-Juma added: “This is not limited to Syria but extends to all conflict countries in the region facing the same crisis.”