At present, many countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region have developed action plans and started implementing activities to address mental health and psychosocial support as part of their national response to the #COVID19 pandemic. We will regularly share experiences from countries in the Region to keep you updated on what is happening on-the-ground to support people’s mental health and wellbeing during this pandemic.

Palestine

Palestine managed to incorporate a mental health and psychosocial support component in its national response plan for #COVID19, despite the various challenges it faced with logistics and procedures.

It also repurposed an existing helpline for psychosocial support. This helpline is supervised by specialized mental health professionals who also provide people that test positive for #COVID19 and their family members, particularly children with psychological first aid and referrals to specialized services, if needed.

Additionally, Palestine introduced remote mental health consultations and referrals via phone to ensure the continuity of access to mental health services and psychotropic medications through home deliveries.