Article

The invisible wounds of armed conflict : the approach of the International Committee of the Red Cross to mental health and psychosocial needs

Mateo Jaramillo Ortega, Senop Tschakarjan

• Swiss archives of neurology, psychiatry and psychotherapy, No 170, 2019, 3 p.

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English

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One in four people in the world have a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives. People affected by conflict and other situations of violence are particularly vulnerable. Furthermore, conflict situations also strain healthcare systems with already scarce or inadequate resources. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works to ensure that the people affected have access to basic healthcare – including mental healthcare – that meets universally recognised standards. The ICRC aims to address psychological and psychosocial needs in a holistic manner, assessing and responding to the various needs, and regularly consulting the individuals and communities concerned. It also takes a multidisciplinary approach. The ICRC has developed a set of activities that seek to respond to different mental health and psychosocial needs and that can be adapted to the different populations the ICRC serves. There is still a large gap between mental health and psychosocial needs and the actual care provided worldwide. The ICRC works to address and reduce this gap.

• Full text

• For more information, see the ICRC's Guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support (2017)