When disaster strikes, mental health can plummet, as communities face the stress of continued and overwhelming chaos and uncertainty, as well as the devastating loss of homes, livelihoods and loved ones.
International Medical Corps is one of the few humanitarian organizations working globally that prioritizes the treatment of mental health needs in humanitarian crises. Our teams provide counseling sessions, psychological first aid and other services to people in need, as well as training for health workers, first responders and community members.
On October 10, our teams recognized the importance of mental health on World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme was “Mental Health at Work.” Here’s how some of our team members around the world celebrated the day.
Jordan
International Medical Corps is one of Jordan’s largest mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services providers. On Mental Health Day, we hosted mental health awareness activities for local citizens and refugees in nine cities, where our expert psychologists led guided exercises and taught techniques for managing stress.
In Azraq refugee camp, our MHPSS team ran four tailored educational sessions about mental health for more than 70 NGO staff. Working in a refugee camp comes with its own unique challenges for a number of reasons, including because the camp is geographically isolated from neighboring cities. Our team taught practical strategies to manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance in these challenging conditions.
We also collaborated with the Princess Basma Center for Women’s Studies in Irbid to run a session about women’s mental health, while in Amman we launched the “A Workday Without Stress” campaign with representatives from both international and local organizations, along with public health workers. The campaign emphasized the critical role of mental health and well-being on an individual level and within professional and institutional frameworks.
Learn more about our work in Jordan.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, International Medical Corps provides mental health services to Afghan refugees in refugee villages across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The team works to combat stigma and discrimination against refugees, which continue to pose significant barriers to social inclusion and access to essential care. In recognition of World Mental Health Day, the team conducted four interactive sessions for International Medical Corps staff in Haripur, Islamabad, Lower Dir and Peshawar. Many of the 108 participants shared their suggestions and best practices to help their teams prioritize mental health in the workplace.
Learn more about our work in Pakistan.
Somalia
International Medical Corps supports the Somalia Ministry of Health (MoH) with MHPSS training and on-the-job mentoring of MoH staff. In honor of World Mental Health Day, our team held community awareness sessions. Staff members also participated in a soccer match, which acted not only as a team-building activity but also an opportunity to bring fun and comradery among colleagues, helping them de-stress and connect in a challenging environment.
Learn more about our work in Somalia.
South Sudan
In South Sudan, International Medical Corps delivers critical services and medicines to people in Jonglei and Upper Nile states with mental, neurological and substance-use conditions. We also co-chair the national MHPSS Technical Working Group and contribute to national policy development. Together with local partners, we held a World Mental Health Day celebration in Malakal where community members danced, shared their experiences and attended awareness sessions led by our team.
Learn more about our work in South Sudan.
Sudan
As Sudan continues to endure ongoing conflict and mass displacement, our team prioritizes mental health care for those who need it most. Through an integrated approach, our MHPSS team provides several programs, including case management, psychological first aid, group support and the WHO’s Self-Help Plus (SH+) intervention. We also provide training for key stakeholders, including health providers, MHPSS staff, community leaders, local partners and staff from other humanitarian agencies. In honor of World Mental Health Day, our team organized several activities in different locations around the country, including poetry and art sessions for children.
Learn more about our work in Sudan.
Ukraine
In Ukraine—where we are providing extensive MHPSS services and training while also co-leading the country’s MHPSS technical working group—International Medical Corps’ team and partners held special events around Ukraine to celebrate World Mental Health Day.
In Kyiv, the MHPSS team staged a photo exhibition and gave a presentation at Bogomolets Medical University. The exhibition featured photographs taken by staff member Mykola Kravchenko during sessions featuring art-based activities at two residential institutions, which International Medical Corps supports, for people with mental health conditions. International Medical Corps staff talking about our MHPSS programming and the photo project to students at the university and representatives from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
We also held events for people near the front lines in the northeast of Ukraine, where our MHPSS team conducted a support session for older internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Zlatopil. This session helped the IDPs to share the challenges they face after feeling their homes and to explore their own capacity for resilience.
Learn more about our work in Ukraine.
West Bank
International Medical Corps’ West Bank team ran a stress and self-care workshop in Bethlehem for 24 mental health professionals, including psychologists, mental health workers and school counselors. Through icebreakers, group discussions and creative exercises, participants shared their struggles with stress and burnout in the workplace. In one exercise, the participants each blew up a balloon, wrote a source of their stress on it, then exchanged and discussed their stressors.
Our team then ran a focus group discussion explaining how International Medical Corps can support mental health professionals in the West Bank.
Learn more about our work in Gaza and the West Bank.
Yemen
At our office in Sana’a, our MHPSS team ran a workplace stress management workshop for staff members. Covering such topics as the causes, symptoms and impacts of workplace stress, they guided the staff in exercises to help them cope with stress and support each other.
Our staff also celebrated World Mental Health Day with patients at some of the health facilities we support, including the Al Karabah and Al Mabda health units in Ibb governorate.
Learn more about our work in Yemen.
International Medical Corps provides mental health care during humanitarian crises, reaching people during what is often the most challenging time in their lives.
To help us continue to support the world’s most vulnerable people affected by extreme weather and other disasters, donate to International Medical Corps today.