Mental Health

International Review of Psychiatry

Responding to the needs of children in crisis

New Guidelines for Addressing Mental Health in Emergencies

November 16, 2007

New Guidelines for Addressing Mental Health in Emergencies

Dr. Lynne Jones working with orphaned children in Uganda

IMC’s technical director of mental health Dr. Lynne Jones works with orphaned children in Uganda, using finger puppets to help them relate their experiences during the civil war.

A Pioneering Program Helps Children Grow Healthier, Stronger, and Smarter

Most children in the Acholiland region of northern Uganda are born into communities that have been devastated by the 20-year civil war between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels and the government of Uganda. The LRA’s campaign of terror has been marked by rape, mutilation and child abductions.

World Mental Health Day: October 10, 2007

October 10, 2007

Worldwide, some 450 million people suffer from a mental or behavioral disorder, yet only a small percentage have access to even the most basic treatment.

After Fifteen Years of Suffering, an Epileptic’s Life is Transformed

After Fifteen Years of Suffering, an Epilepticâ��s Life is Transformed

October 01, 2007

Rosmawati's life has changed dramatically since being treated by International Medical Corps' mental health team.

Mental Health Takes Center Stage

Launch of Guidelines Important Step Forward

IMC Receives $2.7 million UNICEF Grant to Revamp Education in Lebanon

July 06, 2007

International Medical Corps (IMC) and UNICEF have joined forces to develop 25 Child-Friendly Schools in some of Lebanon’s most vulnerable regions.

Through the Eyes of Children: Refugee Life in Pictures

June 19, 2007

They are powerful images that capture the pain and struggles of life as a young refugee. Sixty photographs, taken by kids ages 12-20 at a refugee settlement in Uganda that is supported by International Medical Corps and UNHCR are now on display at exhibits in Washington, London and Kampala.

Children's artwork

The children’s artwork at the Aadaisseh space reflects a transformation in their psychological state. Today, they are drawing butterflies and flowers; whereas when they first arrived last fall, they were drawing implements of war. Photo by Carol Tabbal.

Young artists

A group of aspiring artists at the child-friendly space in the village of Khiam, which was hit particularly hard by the war. Photo by Julie Poucher Harbin.

Suicide, Violence, and Depression Widespread in FEMA Travel Trailer Parks

March 26, 2007

Survivors displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita now living in “temporary” travel trailers in Louisiana and Mississippi are 15 times more likely to take their own lives than people in the rest of the United States.

Mental illness is the most common non-communicable disease in the world, affecting more than 450 million people. Despite its prevalence, only a small percentage of the global population has access to even the most basic treatment. International Medical Corps (IMC) was one of the very first international relief and development organizations to recognize that untreated mental illness can be a serious setback to individuals, and even communities, struggling to make a fresh start. As a result, IMC pioneered the treatment of serious mental disorders in emergency settings, and went on to work with partners to develop best practices to guide international NGOs as they implement mental health programs in these settings.

IInternational Medical Corps now makes sustainable and accessible mental health care a cornerstone of its comprehensive relief and development programming, providing a continuum of care to address not only the immediate needs of recovering communities, but pre-existing mental health problems, as well. In resource-poor settings—Sierra Leone, for example, has just one psychiatrist to serve a population of six million—the key to providing such care is to utilize pre-existing networks or assets. IMC uses international mental health specialists to train community-based primary health care staff to identify and treat the most prevalent types of mental illness, and works with community members to rebuild social networks, foster resilience, and enhance coping mechanisms.

From creating safe play spaces for children in Lebanon to treating ex-combatants in post-war Sierra Leone to helping survivors of natural disaster in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, International Medical Corps provides clinical services, training for health care professionals, and public education, all of which are aimed at sensitizing communities to mental health issues and giving them the skills they need to treat those who are ill. Making care accessible not only improves the lives of those affected by mental illness, it also facilitates the reintegration and stabilization of entire communities, which is the ultimate goal of responsible health interventions.

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