Mental support for victims cannot wait

WORLD Mental Health Day, observed earlier this month, provided an annual reminder that mental health is not a secondary need but a cornerstone of human resilience and recovery.

- DR YVETTE HLOPHE

And the 2025 theme, 'Mental health in humanitarian emergencies,' underscores the urgent need to strengthen access to mental health services and psychosocial support during times of crisis - whether born from conflict, displacement, natural disasters, or public health emergencies.

While humanitarian responses often focus on physical survival - providing food, shelter, and medical care - psychological well-being is just as vital.

But mental health support is frequently overlooked during crises due to stigma, lack of awareness, and competing priorities.

Psychological and emotional well-being are often seen as secondary needs. To address this gap, it is important that mental health be more intentionally integrated into humanitarian and public health responses.

This effort can begin with empowering first responders, community health workers, and volunteers through basic psychological first aid training, endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and organisations such as UNICEF and Mental Health First Aid International.

The focus is not on professional therapy but rather on allowing people to feel safe, calm, and supported and assisting them in accessing further help if needed.