INSIGHT
for livelihoods and education. These concerns
magnify the difficulties refugees already encounter,
making it even harder to cope and address
challenges after their journey to safety.121
Priority actions and current response
At the global level, UNHCR, in collaboration with
international partners, coordinates programmatic
efforts to support refugees’ mental health. This
includes ensuring essential mental healthcare is
available in health facilities, improving access to
evidence-based scalable psychological interventions
and strengthening community self-help and mutual
support.122 Working with governments to implement
policies that allow better access for refugees within
the host countries’ health systems is also crucial to
shape health outcomes for refugee populations.123
The evidence underscores the urgent need for
tailored mental health support for both refugees and
the communities that host them. For example,
UNHCR’s Executive Committee’s Conclusion No. 116
calls for strengthened partnerships, capacitybuilding, sustainable funding and the use of
evidence-based approaches to enhance the delivery
and effectiveness of mental health programmes. It
also reaffirms the role of international cooperation,
the involvement of civil society and refugee self-help
in shaping and supporting mental health systems
that promote well-being, protection and durable
solutions.124 Refugee women and girls face unique
challenges, with exposure to traumatic events
contributing to increased mental health risks.
Obstacles for refugees’ access to healthcare and
social support services and a shortage of trained
professionals further exacerbate these issues.
Addressing these challenges requires urgent and
targeted actions from refugee-hosting country
governments, with support from international
organizations and multilateral financial institutions
where it is most needed.
Key strategic priorities include making the best use
of existing resources, which are being rapidly
depleted, to ensure that refugees are included in
mental health service provision. This will require
innovative approaches and new partnerships as the
budget for health interventions continues to shrink
globally.125 These will foster better collaboration and
more strategic allocation of resources to ensure the
sustainable provision of services for refugees. Such
investments in comprehensive mental health and
psychosocial support can better empower refugees
to recover from losses, trauma and other adversities,
actively contribute to their host societies and
ultimately rebuild their lives.
BULGARIA. Artists from nine
countries together with
refugee children from Syria
and Ukraine created a striking
mural in Sofia on the facade of
a local school in September
2023. Facilitated by a
non-profit organization, the
artwork depicts the connection
between different cultures and
is a symbol of shared hope for
the future. Refugees face
harsh conditions that can put
their mental health and
wellbeing under significant
stress. Using arts for protection
and including refugees in
artistic activities enhances
their wellbeing and fosters
connection and unity with host
communities.
© UNHCR/DOBRIN KASHAVELOV
121 See Is legal status associated with mental illness among newly arrived refugees in Sweden: an epidemiological study, Delilovic et al.
122 See Mental health and psychosocial support, UNHCR.
123 See The contemporary refugee crisis: an overview of mental health challenges, Silove et al.
124 See Conclusion No. 116 (LXXIII): Mental Health and Psychosocial Support - Adopted by the Executive Committee (2022), UNHCR.
125 See Multi-stakeholder Pledge: Fostering Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing, in the Global Compact on Refugees, UNHCR.
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