Since September 2021, MSF has been providing mental health services inside Al Hol camp in northeast Syria, where over 46,000 people have been indefinitely detained since 2018. Both the unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the camp, and the prolonged nature of their detention with no end in sight, have led to a huge need for mental health support for the people detained there. The mental health program aims at helping people at the camp manage the psychological distress they have faced as a result of their prolonged detainment and following the trauma they have suffered after many years of conflict prior to their detention. In 2023, MSF supported more than 10,000 people at Al Hol camp with mental health activities for kids, teens, and adult women and men, and provided 2000 consultations during individual therapeutic counseling sessions.

Mental health activities are a crucial part of any medical response. They can provide a safe and supportive environment for people to express their feelings, process their experiences, and learn coping mechanisms. These activities can include individual therapeutic counseling and psychiatric patient management, group support sessions including psychoeducation and living well groups, and recreational activities.