Responding to growing mental health needs

Lebanon | 2021 | CBPF

Lebanon, Beirut. Because of Lebanon’s ongoing economic and political crises, basic resources have become luxuries many people cannot afford. Often, people have to choose one need over another— ”I am no longer paying for electricity because then I can’t afford to feed my family,” says a participant in RESTART Center’s mental health support programme.

People are increasingly seeking mental health support—the Lebanese Humanitarian Fund funded national NGO RESTART Center to help respond. The RESTART Center recorded a 28 per cent increase in demand in 2021 among refugees and Lebanese (19 per cent and 57 per cent increase, respectively).

LHF funded RESTART under the First Standard Allocation 2021 to provide specialized mental health services and community-based psychosocial support to over 1,000 vulnerable Lebanese migrants and refugees in Beirut, Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon and Akkar governorates.

RESTART provides people with psychological first aid and psycho-social support services. Participants benefit from the support, but they know RESTART cannot fulfill all basic needs. They take comfort knowing that they are acknowledged, and their stories are worth attending to.

One woman said: “I had forgotten what it feels like to be respected, and what it feels like to be a lady. You reminded me of who I used to be and who I am. You have given me the hope that I needed to keep going”.

Each person approaches RESTART with a story to tell. In 2021, 100 per cent of participants reported improvements in at least one area of their mental health symptoms.

2021

More information on the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund:
OCHA – POOLED FUNDS DATA HUB – By Country (unocha.org)
https://www.unocha.org/lebanon/about-lhf

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