Lebanon's caretaker health minister at the launching of the mental health initiative supported by the French Development Agency in Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo sent to L'Orient Today by the French Development Agency)
BEIRUT — The Health Ministry launched on Thursday a mental health strategy to assist "individuals going through a tough time," with a "seven-year road map."
"In Lebanon specifically, enhancing mental health also requires addressing social, economic, and political factors that collectively impact mental health negatively and hinder recovery processes," a statement released by the Health Ministry explained.
The strategy was derived after the ministry "conducted an assessment of the mental health situation in the country, including the burden of diseases and needs assessment, and reviewed the current system's capacity to respond to these needs," the statement continued.
“Consultations were conducted with local experts and stakeholders, including lived experience individuals, to guide the prioritization process of the strategy,” it stated, adding that it was informed by international guidelines, including recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The strategy was launched in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), along with several NGOs including Embrace, which provides psychological counseling and operates Lebanon’s only mental health helpline (1564).
The strategy aims to comprehensively address "all aspects of the mental health system."
The ministry first announced the launch of a mobile app providing videos by psychological experts for "self-therapy."
Key priorities include raising awareness and correcting misconceptions about mental health through evidence-based interventions that consider political, social, and economic factors. Additionally, it supports healthcare providers with capacity building and prioritizes their mental well-being. It also focuses on data enhancement, research, and establishing legal and financial frameworks to strengthen the mental health system nationwide.
'Lebanese and refugees face unbearable pressure'
A statement by AFD announced, in the frame of this strategy, it has launched a project implemented in coordination with Medecins du Monde, along with local Lebanese NGO Skoun, the Ecole Superieure des Affaires (ESA) and WHO with a total funding of €7.375 million.
“In response to Lebanon's enduring humanitarian challenges exacerbated by multiple crises, a comprehensive initiative led by French organizations is set to bolster mental health services across the country. The initiative comes amidst Lebanon's economic collapse, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, cholera outbreaks, the devastating Beirut port explosion, and widespread poverty,” AFD explained.
According to the initiative, "Lebanese and refugees face unbearable pressure, resulting in increased stress, depression, addictions and suicides."
In its annual report on mental health in Lebanon, published on March 1, Embrace highlighted a distressing trend: a 21.7-percent increase in deaths by suicide in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Three main components of the project
The project is structured around three main components, focusing on immediate interventions and long-term capacity building. The first component involves implementing priority activities outlined in the National Mental Health Strategy (PNSM), with a budget of €6.4 million. This includes enhancing patient care at secondary health facilities in Baalbeck, Beirut, and Tripoli, and reinforcing community-level awareness and prevention efforts.
The second component, supported with €750,000 through the ESA, focuses on institutional strengthening of the PNSM. This aims to bolster organizational capacities within the Public Health Ministry and ensure the strategy's sustainable integration within national health frameworks.
The third component allocates €225,000 towards training and capitalizing on mental health strategies in Lebanon in collaboration with WHO. This includes supporting university training for new mental health experts and continuing public outreach efforts to promote mental health services.
The initiative aims to improve access to mental health and addiction services for approximately 42,000 individuals through capacity building at community and primary health centers in Beirut, Baalbek, and Tripoli. It also supports an emergency hotline providing emotional support and suicide prevention services in Lebanon. The project aims to mitigate the severe mental health impacts of the compounded crises faced by Lebanon, ensuring broader access to essential services and building local capacity to sustain mental health support efforts, concluded AFD.
