STAR HEALTH DESK

As wars, disasters, and epidemics continue to upend lives across the world, the World Health Organisation (WHO) marked world mental health day 2025 with a clear message — mental health must be protected in humanitarian emergencies. This year’s theme highlights that psychological care is as vital as food, water, and shelter when communities face crisis. The campaign reaffirmed WHO’s long-standing principle: there is no health without mental health.

Humanitarian emergencies can take a devastating psychological toll. Fear, grief, displacement, and uncertainty affect nearly everyone caught in crisis. WHO estimates that one in five people living in conflict-affected areas suffer from a mental health condition, while many more experience distress that can persist for years. By the end of 2024, well over 123 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, the majority in low- and middle-income countries where health systems are already under immense pressure.

Core messages of the campaign

The WHO campaign outlined several core priorities for protecting mental health during emergencies:

• Mental health is central to recovery. Meeting basic physical needs is essential, but survivors also need emotional care, safety, and social connection to heal and rebuild their lives.

• Integration into humanitarian response. Mental health and psychosocial support must be included in all emergency plans — from hospitals and refugee camps to schools and community centres. Every setting should have trained staff ready to provide psychological first aid.

• Investment builds resilience. Evidence shows that investing in mental health reduces long-term suffering, helps people return to school or work, and strengthens social recovery after crises.

• Leave no one behind. Special attention is needed for those most at risk — children, older individuals, people with disabilities, refugees, and individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions. Barriers such as stigma, discrimination, cost, and language must be actively removed.

• Support for humanitarian workers. Responders themselves face trauma, exhaustion, and burnout. Providing supervision, rest, and counselling ensures they can continue to deliver compassionate care.

WHO’s campaign reinforces that effective emergency response is incomplete without addressing mental health. Healing the mind is essential to rebuilding communities.

How to protect mental health

At the individual and community level, WHO recommends practical steps to safeguard mental well-being during crises:

• Stay connected. Keep in touch with family, friends, and neighbours. Social support is one of the strongest buffers against distress.

• Maintain routines. Consistent sleeping, eating, and activity patterns create stability in uncertain times.

• Engage in positive activities. Exercise, prayer, creativity, or volunteering can restore a sense of control and purpose.

• Avoid harmful coping behaviours. Reducing alcohol and substance use helps protect both body and mind.

• Seek help early. Talking to a trusted friend, counsellor, or health professional can prevent prolonged suffering.

• Support others. Offering empathy and listening can help communities heal collectively.

On world mental health day 2025, WHO urged countries and humanitarian partners to make mental health a universal priority — especially for people living through conflict, displacement, and disaster. The organisation’s message was simple yet powerful: to rebuild lives, we must care for minds. By integrating mental health into every emergency response, societies can foster resilience, recovery, and hope for a healthier, more humane future.

Source: World Health Organisation