Demand for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in the Middle East remains high due to ongoing crises, conflicts, displacement, and limited economic opportunities. Despite significant humanitarian and development efforts, local and regional capacities for psychosocial services continue to be insufficient, and context-adapted knowledge, such as on suicide prevention and MHPSS for disadvantaged groups, remains limited.
The project aimed to strengthen the professional and methodological capacities of MHPSS practitioners so they could provide context-, trauma-, and gender-sensitive support to psychosocially distressed populations in the Middle East.
Until its closure on 31 October 2025, the project expanded context-sensitive MHPSS expertise in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Türkiye. In cooperation with local civil society organisations, state actors, and regional and global networks, it documented local MHPSS practice-based knowledge, developed and tested innovative MHPSS approaches, and made this knowledge accessible to professionals and organisations. Key areas included art-based approaches to support disadvantaged groups and the integration of MHPSS into disaster risk management.
The project also convened thematic events to facilitate the exchange of lessons learned and good practices among local, regional, and international MHPSS actors.
In addition, the project advised development cooperation actors on MHPSS-sensitive project implementation, contributing to more effective development interventions through the systematic integration of MHPSS. The knowledge generated was further used to advise the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supporting the strategic positioning of MHPSS in policies, work plans, and international forums.
While the project concluded in October 2025, the needs it addressed remain highly relevant. The project’s knowledge products are available in the downloads section.