Beyond survival: mental health on the frontlines of crisis

Frontline minds: putting a human face on mental health in emergencies

When a crisis strikes, the headlines are often filled with images of destroyed homes, overcrowded camps, and urgent calls for food, water, and shelter. What is less visible - but no less devastating - are the psychological wounds carried by people caught in conflict, disaster, and displacement. In every emergency, the struggle is not only for survival, but also for dignity, hope, and mental well-being.

Globally, one in five people living through emergencies experience a mental health condition - about twice the global average. That means behind every camp, every makeshift clinic, every aid convoy, are people grappling with psychological distress. For them, the crisis is not just external, but internal. And for the mental health workers who step in-themselves dealing with the psychological consequences of emergencies-the task is essential.

This feature series highlights WHO staff in the field offering comfort and connection in the aftermath of earthquakes, helping children regain a sense of safety after witnessing violence, delivering psychotropic medicines where supply chains have collapsed. Their stories show us what it takes to preserve humanity when the world around has been shaken.

At the same time, these human accounts are part of a much larger picture. In 2024, Member States at the World Health Assembly adopted a landmark resolution calling for the integration of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) into every stage of preparedness, response, and recovery. The momentum is real: coordination mechanisms for MHPSS exist in 71% of emergencies today, compared to less than half just five years ago. More than half of crisis-affected countries now use the Inter-Agency Standing Committee's Minimum Service Package - setting a baseline for what people should be able to expect, even in the darkest of times.

But progress is fragile. In 2025, requests for essential psychotropic medicines in emergencies plummeted by 96%. Not because the need diminished - but because funding did. The result: people with mental health conditions common and severe are being left untreated in conflict zones and refugee camps, where conditions are already stacked against them. In places like Gaza, Syria, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, the stakes are measured in human lives and futures.

That is why investing in MHPSS is crucial. Evidence shows that supporting mental health in emergencies helps people and communities to cope, survive, and recover faster. It strengthens families, helps rebuild economies, and lays the foundation for stronger health systems long after the crisis has passed. Put simply: without mental health, there is no full recovery.

WHO plays a unique role in this space - coordinating responses in more than 40 crises, deploying experts on the ground, and building lasting relationships with government and local NGOs to strengthen mental health systems. It also sets the global standards that guide governments, NGOs, and humanitarian partners in scaling up support.

These are the technical achievements. But what they mean in practice can be understood only through the people living them, people such as those featured here. Their voices remind us that mental health in emergencies is not abstract policy, but human resilience in action.

We invite you to read their stories - and see the extraordinary humanity of those who heal minds as well as bodies on the frontlines of crisis.