Displaced and traumatised by war, Syrians now face mental health crises. Credit: Sonia al-Ali/IPS
IDLIB, Syria, May 22 2026 (IPS) - The protracted years of conflict in Syria have inflicted profound scars that transcend physical destruction, permeating the psychological well-being of millions.
There has been a marked surge in mental health disorders and suicide rates, positioning psychiatric care and psychosocial support services as some of the most critical and urgent healthcare requirements for the population.
According to UNICEF, approximately 7.5 million children in Syria require humanitarian assistance. Successive cycles of violence and displacement – compounded by a devastating economic collapse, severe deprivation, disease outbreaks, and catastrophic earthquakes – have left hundreds of thousands of children vulnerable to long-term physical and psychosocial repercussions.
Ten-year-old Walid* is haunted by recurring nightmares and intrusive thoughts after witnessing his father’s death in a landmine explosion while they were tending their farmland in northern Syria.
Speaking through tears, his mother recounts the tragedy. “We returned home following the liberation of the area from the Assad regime. My husband went to inspect our land and trees when a landmine detonated, killing him and injuring my son. Since that day, Walid has struggled with psychological trauma and what the doctor described as a state of clinical depression.”
Similarly, Salwa al-Abed, a 29-year-old woman from Damascus, endures a comparable struggle. Having spent approximately three years in the detention centres of the former Syrian regime – where she saw nothing but darkness and heard only the echoes of torture – she remains burdened by the psychological fallout of her incarceration.
Reflecting on the root of her suffering, she says, “The period of my detention was the most harrowing time of my life. We were subjected to relentless, merciless torture daily; we lost all sense of time, unable to distinguish day from night. Following my release, I spiralled into a state of severe clinical depression.”
Salwa withdrew into complete isolation, severing ties with her family, friends, and colleagues. She lived like a prisoner in a small room – absent-minded and despondent – until the day she found herself before a mental health professional.
Her family had introduced him under the guise of a close friend, convinced of his ability to extricate her from her condition. Salwa was initially unaware of the gravity of her psychological crisis; however, her recurring sessions with the specialist marked a pivotal turning point, signalling the beginning of a therapeutic journey to overcome profound psychological disorders.
Mental health facilities and practitioners are few and far between. Credit: Sonia al-Ali/IPS
Many psychiatric patients are paralysed by the fear of being labelled “insane” or “weak”, a direct result of the deep-seated social stigma surrounding mental illness within Syrian society.
Alaa al-Rashid, a 42-year-old specialist in psychological counselling, confirms that Syria has seen a significant spike in mental disorder rates across all demographics in recent years. Ongoing livelihood and economic crises, along with the cumulative repercussions of prolonged war, displacement, and systemic instability, fuel this surge.
Al-Rashid elaborates, “Those most vulnerable to psychological disorders include persons with disabilities, survivors of detention, and those who have lost immediate kin to the war.”
He further warns of the dangers of seeking improper treatment, noting that some patients turn to practitioners of the occult or resort to substance abuse—measures that exacerbate the illness and often lead to addiction.
“Specialised psychiatric treatment centres in Syria are critically scarce and insufficient,” al-Rashid adds. ” However, the primary challenge is not merely service provision but encouraging patients to seek help. Prevailing social norms view mental illness as a source of shame, driving many into silence. Consequently, we ensure that psychological sessions remain strictly confidential, focusing on rebuilding self-confidence and empowering individuals to confront the effects of trauma.”
Al-Rashid also notes that psychiatric patients often suffer from acute social isolation. As society retreats from and fears interacting with them, their sense of loneliness and despair intensifies. This alienation hinders the recovery process and negatively impacts their psychological and social stability.
He concludes by emphasising that mental illness is not a moral failing or a disgrace but a medical condition akin to any physical ailment. It is imperative to highlight mental health as a fundamental human right, no less vital than physical well-being.
Al-Rashid further notes that mental health awareness and education campaigns are essential to raising public consciousness and dismantling the myths associated with psychiatric conditions. These initiatives must focus on providing empirical information regarding the nature of psychological disorders, their treatability, and the vital importance of early intervention. Such campaigns, he suggests, should be integrated into schools, universities, and community centres.
The Syrian healthcare system suffers from an acute shortage of specialised psychiatric personnel, compounded by a limited number of facilities capable of providing adequate psychological support and clinical treatment. This deficit particularly affects rural areas and displacement camps, forcing many afflicted individuals to either abandon treatment entirely or seek non-medical alternatives.
