Syria's fragile mental health services in the midst of conflict and violence: call for action

摘要

Syria has a population of 17.5 million people, according to 2020 estimates (World Bank n.d.). Since the beginning of the conflict in 2011,9 million Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries as refugees (UNHCR n.d.). In Syria, political instability and civil war have resulted in three health systems in the government-controlled region, northeast Syria and northwest Syria, each with no organized structure to respond to medical emergencies and disconnected from each other (IRC n.d.). Despite the ongoing civil war in Syria, the government's teaching hospitals remain open and provide services free of charge. The years of fighting have destroyed or damaged almost three-quarters of the country's hospital services. Further, there is a severe shortage of mental health professionals, especially psychiatrists, across the country (Dunmore 2016).