Mental Health Day 2025: Powerful Solutions for Services During Crises and Emergencies

Introduction

World Mental Health Day 2025, observed on October 10, focuses on “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies.” This year’s theme highlights the critical importance of ensuring that mental health support reaches everyone, especially during crises such as natural disasters, pandemics, and community emergencies. It emphasizes that timely access to psychological care can save lives, reduce long-term suffering, and build resilient communities. By bringing attention to barriers, innovative solutions, and the role of collective action, the theme calls for global awareness and proactive efforts to make mental health services accessible when they are needed most.

When catastrophe strikes—whether through natural disasters, pandemics, or armed conflicts—the first priority is often physical survival. However, mental health needs rise sharply during crises and are too often overlooked. Disasters disrupt social networks, displace communities, and create widespread uncertainty, which can lead to acute psychological distress and long-term mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression (Neria, Nandi, & Galea, 2008).

Despite growing recognition, access to mental health services during emergencies remains severely limited. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) highlights that in many disaster-affected regions, fewer than one in five people with mental health conditions receive adequate care. Barriers include stigma, lack of infrastructure, disrupted services, and insufficient trained personnel.

Read More: Stress

Why Mental Health Access Matters in Emergencies

Emergencies magnify existing vulnerabilities and create new ones. Survivors of crises often face grief, trauma, displacement, and loss of livelihood. Without timely psychological support, these experiences can lead to long-term disability and hinder recovery.

For example, research following Hurricane Katrina found significantly elevated rates of depression, PTSD, and suicide ideation among survivors (Kessler et al., 2008). Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline healthcare workers reported unprecedented levels of burnout, anxiety, and depression due to prolonged stress and fear of infection (Pappa et al., 2020).

Mental health access during crises is therefore not a secondary concern but a lifesaving necessity. By protecting mental well-being, communities can maintain resilience, rebuild faster, and reduce the long-term burden on healthcare systems.

Challenges to Accessing Mental Health Services in Crises

Some challanges to accessing mental health services include:

1. Infrastructure Disruptions

Disasters often destroy hospitals, clinics, and supply chains, making it difficult to deliver consistent services.

2. Shortage of Trained Professionals

Even under normal circumstances, mental health professionals are scarce in many regions. During emergencies, the demand for psychological support far exceeds available capacity (WHO, 2022).

3. Stigma and Cultural Barriers

In some communities, mental health is still taboo, leading survivors to avoid seeking help even when services are available (Corrigan, 2004).

4. Prioritization of Physical Health

Governments and aid organizations often focus first on physical survival—food, shelter, and medical care—while neglecting psychological needs.

5. Economic and Logistical Constraints

Displaced populations may lack the money or transportation to access care, especially when services are centralized in urban areas.

6. Lack of Policy Integration

Mental health support is often not integrated into national disaster preparedness and response frameworks, leading to fragmented and inconsistent service delivery.

Best Practices from Global Experiences

Some of the best practices for global experiences include:

Psychological First Aid (PFA)

PFA provides immediate, compassionate support to individuals in crisis without requiring specialized training. Studies show that PFA reduces distress and promotes adaptive coping in disaster survivors (WHO, War Trauma Foundation, & World Vision International, 2011).

Community-Based Approaches

Mobilizing local volunteers, religious leaders, and peer-support groups increases accessibility and cultural acceptance of mental health care (Tol et al., 2011).

Integration with Primary Health Care

Embedding mental health services into general healthcare ensures that psychological support is not sidelined. For example, after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, integrating counseling into primary care clinics expanded reach and reduced stigma (Raviola et al., 2012).

Telehealth Solutions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine emerged as a critical tool for providing mental health support when in-person services were restricted.

Seven Powerful Solutions for Building Resilient Systems

Some powerful solutions for building resilient systems include:

1. Strengthen Mental Health Infrastructure in Disaster Plans

Governments must integrate mental health into national emergency frameworks, ensuring that psychological services are not an afterthought but a core component of disaster response (Patel et al., 2018).

2. Train Non-Specialist Health Workers

The WHO’s mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Action Programme) demonstrates that non-specialists can be trained to deliver basic mental health care, vastly expanding workforce capacity in emergencies (WHO, 2008).

3. Leverage Technology and Telehealth

Mobile apps, text-based hotlines, and teletherapy platforms can provide scalable solutions during lockdowns or when infrastructure is damaged.

4. Deploy Mobile Clinics and Field Teams

Mobile mental health units can reach displaced populations in remote or disaster-hit regions, providing on-the-ground support.

5. Reduce Stigma through Public Awareness Campaigns

Clear, culturally sensitive communication normalizes help-seeking behavior and reduces stigma. Campaigns led by trusted local figures can be especially impactful.

6. Promote Community-Led Support Systems

Empowering communities to establish peer-support networks fosters resilience. Local groups can provide immediate support before professional care is available.

7. Build Long-Term Resilience Through Education and Preparedness

Schools and workplaces can integrate mental health literacy into curricula and training programs, equipping individuals with coping skills before crises occur.

Case Studies

• Sierra Leone (Ebola Epidemic, 2014–2016): Local volunteers trained in PFA supported communities, reducing fear and stigma while providing culturally appropriate care (Betancourt et al., 2016).
• New Zealand (Christchurch Earthquake, 2011): A government-led mental health campaign, “All Right?,” promoted resilience and community solidarity through public messaging.
• Global (COVID-19): Telehealth platforms and hotlines surged, with countries like the U.S. expanding digital access to therapy and crisis counseling.

 

Beyond the Crisis

True resilience requires shifting from reactive responses to proactive planning. This means:

• Embedding mental health professionals in emergency response teams.
• Ensuring sustainable funding for long-term psychological recovery.
• Involving survivors in designing culturally sensitive services.
• Establishing international collaborations for knowledge and resource sharing.

Conclusion

Mental health care is not a luxury—it is a necessity, especially in times of catastrophe. Emergencies test the resilience of individuals and communities, and without adequate support, the psychological toll can be devastating. By recognizing challenges, adopting best practices, and implementing powerful solutions, societies can ensure that mental health is prioritized alongside physical survival.

Access to mental health services during crises is more than crisis response—it is about building systems of care that protect dignity, foster resilience, and save lives long after the disaster ends.

References

Betancourt, T. S., Meyers-Ohki, S., Charrow, A., & Hansen, N. (2016). Annual Research Review: Mental health and resilience in HIV/AIDS-affected children–a review of the literature and recommendations for future research. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(4), 423–444. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12005

Corrigan, P. W. (2004). How stigma interferes with mental health care. American Psychologist, 59(7), 614–625. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.59.7.614

Kessler, R. C., Galea, S., Jones, R. T., & Parker, H. A. (2008). Mental illness and suicidality after Hurricane Katrina. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 86(10), 741–748. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.07.046870

Neria, Y., Nandi, A., & Galea, S. (2008). Post-traumatic stress disorder following disasters: A systematic review. Psychological Medicine, 38(4), 467–480. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707001353

Pappa, S., Ntella, V., Giannakas, T., Giannakoulis, V. G., Papoutsi, E., & Katsaounou, P. (2020). Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and insomnia among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 88, 901–907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.026

Patel, V., Saxena, S., Lund, C., Thornicroft, G., Baingana, F., Bolton, P., … & UnÜtzer, J. (2018). The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. The Lancet, 392(10157), 1553–1598. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31612-X

Raviola, G., Eustache, E., Oswald, C., & Belkin, G. S. (2012). Mental health response in Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake: A case study for building long-term solutions. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 20(1), 68–77. https://doi.org/10.3109/10673229.2012.649083

Tol, W. A., Barbui, C., Galappatti, A., Silove, D., Betancourt, T. S., Souza, R., … & van Ommeren, M. (2011). Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: Linking practice and research. The Lancet, 378(9802), 1581–1591. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61094-5

World Health Organization. (2008). mhGAP: Mental Health Gap Action Programme: Scaling up care for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders. Geneva: WHO.

World Health Organization. (2022). Mental health and psychosocial well-being in emergencies. Geneva: WHO.

World Health Organization, War Trauma Foundation, & World Vision International. (2011). Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers. Geneva: WHO.