The World Health Organization (WHO) is dedicated to scaling up Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services for Armenian refugee and host populations. This critical need has been identified by refugees, and WHO has responded by establishing a mobile team that travels weekly to affected communities to provide immediate MHPSS support.
Since the establishment of the mobile team, over 973 individuals have received MHPSS consultations, with 16% being children and 35% being older people. In addition to this, WHO is working on building the capacity of the MHPSS hotline, where operators are available to provide support, referrals, and assistance to callers experiencing anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts. Over the past six months, 10 operators have received specialized training and have responded to a total of 4546 calls.
According to Vahan Simonyan, a psychiatrist on the mobile team, there is an ongoing acute mental health need in the population. He notes that after six months of providing services, they are diagnosing more long-term and chronic conditions like depression among refugees with existing mental health histories who are showing severe signs of distress. The provision of MHPSS for burn patients, their families, and medical staff has also been a significant focus of WHO’s response. Over 1262 individual sessions have been provided to 149 individuals including 96 burn patients, 32 family members and 21 medical staff.
WHO has also conducted trainings and capacity-building sessions on basic psychosocial skills for self-care and stress management for over 360 nurses. With six months having passed since the influx of refugees from the Karabakh region demand for psychological support continues to grow necessitating additional funding. WHO remains committed to addressing the mental health needs of the population and providing essential support for those affected by the crisis.
In conclusion, WHO’s dedication towards scaling up Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services for Armenian refugee