Mental Health

Psychosocial support

Help-Mitarbeiterin leitet kreative Therapiesitzung mit Kindern in der Ukraine.

Support in times of crisis and disaster

Where violence, displacement and disasters disrupt people’s lives, physical injuries are often visible. However, emotional wounds frequently remain hidden. Through psychosocial support, Help assists those affected in coming to terms with trauma, strengthening their mental health and regaining hope.

Psychologist Yana Derzhak talking to a patient — As a psychologist, Yana Derzhak provides direct emotional support and listens to feelings, fears, and concerns.

Psychosocial support encompasses measures designed to enhance the mental and social wellbeing of people facing stressful life situations. These include, amongst other things, psychological first aid, therapy services, child-friendly spaces and creative methods such as art therapy.

The aim is to help those affected regain emotional stability, social participation and a sense of security. Psychosocial support takes cultural backgrounds into account and is based on trust, empathy and the principle of empowering people. It is an important component of holistic humanitarian assistance.

Every person possesses inner resilience, but wars, disasters and displacement place this resilience under extreme strain: they lose friends or loved ones, are forced to flee their homes and even cross national borders, or suffer serious injuries.

One in five people who have experienced war or conflict over the past ten years are affected by mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, many of those affected have little access to reliable psychological support and no means of improving their mental health.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, or MHPSS for short, safeguards mental well-being, promotes positive coping strategies and prevents long-term mental health conditions. When psychosocial support is provided at an early stage – for example, through psychological first aid or psychosocial activities – it can help those affected to find hope, strengthen their sense of community and maintain confidence in their own future.

Children are sitting at a table in a wooden hut and painting. — Following the devastating floods in the Ahr Valley, Help is supporting art therapy projects for children, among other initiatives.

Children are particularly affected by crises: loss, fear and uncertainty leave a deep impact and can have long-term psychological consequences. In our psychosocial support projects, we therefore focus on children and young people.

Our psychosocial services create safe spaces where children can play, learn and come to terms with their experiences – with the support of trained specialists. Through creative methods such as art, music or group activities, we promote their mental wellbeing, strengthen their resilience and help them reclaim a sense of childhood.

Middle East

Since the escalation of the Middle East conflict, the situation in the Gaza Strip has been catastrophic. Children and young people in particular are severely traumatised by the loss of family members, friends and their homes. In Cairo, Help is therefore working to support Palestinian children who have managed to flee the Gaza Strip with their families. They are receiving psychological and psychosocial support to help them cope with their trauma.

Help in the Middle East

Ukraine

Since the war escalated, there have been repeated severe attacks on the civilian population in Ukraine. People on the ground live with a constant sense of threat, caught between air-raid sirens and sleepless nights. Many families have lost their homes or loved ones as a result of the attacks and have been forced to flee. For children, the loss of family members and the experience of fleeing are particularly difficult to come to terms with. Help supports them in coming to terms with their experiences and finding new courage.

Help in Ukraine

Kinder in einem Klassenzimmer werfen lachend rote Luftballons in die Luft, eine Betreuerin macht begeistert mit – Szene eines Programms zur psychosozialen Unterstützung in einem Krisengebiet in Syrien.

Syria

Almost 14 years of war have left a trail of destruction and suffering in Syria. Many people are now returning to a homeland they barely recognise. The severe earthquake in 2023 has left further scars. Through our psychosocial support projects, people find a place where they can come to come to terms with what they have been through. Together with our local partner, we have also opened a centre that serves as a safe haven for women and girls who have survived gender-based violence.

Help in Syria

Mehrere Kinder malen an Staffeleien unter einem großen Zelt. Jedes Kind arbeitet konzentriert an einem eigenen Bild.

Germany

The floods of 2021 left behind not only a trail of destruction but also many emotional scars. For children in particular, a return to normal daily life was unthinkable for a long time. Many of them have developed anxiety disorders and, when there is heavy rain, feel transported back to the night of the floods. In the Ahr Valley, Help has supported art, dance and equine therapy for children and young people, as well as for adults, so that they can express and come to terms with the trauma they have experienced.

Help in Germany

Rahaf (links) und Hala (rechts) aus Syrien

Like many people in Syria, Rahaf (14) and Hala (13) have suffered losses and experienced traumatic events. They have survived not only the war but also the severe earthquake in early 2023, and have endured unimaginable misfortunes. Hala lost her father when she was just 11 years old, and her brother was seriously injured in the earthquake. Both girls are living in refugee camps under difficult conditions.

But there are also places of hope. In Idlib, a region particularly hard-hit by the earthquake, Help supports a centre for women and girls. Here, girls like Rafah and Hala can come together in a safe space to share their experiences and talk about what they have been through. They can also take part in training sessions and counselling, and make new friends. They are learning to laugh again and to pursue their dreams. This is certainly true of Hala, who has big plans for her future and is full of courage:

I have learnt to set myself goals, stick to them and achieve them.

Hala, 13 years old

Donate for psychosocial support

With your monthly donation, you can help those affected by disasters and crises to come to terms with traumatic experiences.

Help leistete psychosoziale Unterstützung für Kinder nach Erdbeben in der Türkei.

What does psychosocial support mean?

Mental Health and Psychosocial support (MHPSS) encompasses measures designed to help people in crisis maintain their emotional stability or come to terms with traumatic experiences. These include, for example, counselling sessions, group activities and creative pursuits such as art therapy or dance therapy.

Who needs psychosocial support?

Psychosocial support helps people who are suffering psychological distress as a result of war, displacement, natural disasters or other crises. Children, older people, survivors of violence and people with pre-existing conditions are particularly at risk.

What is the difference between psychosocial and psychological support?

Psychosocial support comprises measures designed to help people achieve emotional and social stability. This includes counselling sessions, group activities, and play and learning spaces.

Psychological support is more specialised and is provided by qualified psychologists or therapists. It is aimed at people experiencing severe emotional distress or mental health conditions and includes, for example, trauma therapy or one-to-one counselling.

How does psychosocial support help children?

Children cope with crises differently to adults. In child-friendly spaces, we support their emotional stability through play, creative activities and targeted conversations. In this way, we prevent long-term consequences and strengthen their inner resilience.

What is World Mental Health Day?

World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on 10 October. It was launched in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) and is supported worldwide, including by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The aim of this day of action is to raise awareness of mental health, increase understanding of mental health conditions and reduce stigma. At the same time, it aims to encourage greater investment in mental health services worldwide.

In humanitarian emergencies in particular, access to psychosocial support is often vital, yet remains severely underfunded. Mental Health Day serves as a reminder that mental health is a human right.

Humanitarian assistance