Mental health in emergencies feature profile: Dr Nabil Samarji, Mental Health Officer, WHO Office for Syria

Caring as a personal and professional anchor

Dr Nabil Samarji cares. You feel this instantly upon speaking with him: his heart worn on his sleeve, a smile stretched across his weary face. He is tired, but he is full.

That care reflects both his role and his reality. As WHO's Mental Health Officer in Syria, he supports vulnerable populations-children, young and older people, and women-through years of conflict, displacement, and disruption. At the same time, his own family life deepens his perspective. His mother lives with dementia, a journey he describes as an "ambiguous loss, where the person you love is both here and not here."

"Caretaking has deepened my appreciation for what families endure," he says. "It reminds me daily that behind every patient, there is a family carrying the invisible weight with resilience and tenderness. For me, caregiving is not only a duty - it is a blessing of life. It is an opportunity to teach my children, not by words but by actions, what it means to love, to care, and to remain committed even in the most difficult times. And it is why in my professional role, I advocate not only for patients, but for the families and caregivers who walk this journey alongside them."

Integrating mental health into primary care

Personal motivation alone cannot meet the scale of Syria's needs. Since 2011, the country has faced protracted conflict, displacement, poverty, drought, and most recently, the devastating earthquake in 2023. Against this backdrop, Dr Samarji works with the Ministry of health, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other partners through the national Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) technical working group.

Their efforts focus on integrating mental health into primary health care (PHC)-a strategy that brings mental health services into the same local clinics where people already receive routine care. This makes support more accessible, especially in areas where specialized services are scarce. Today, one in three PHC centres in Syria offer integrated MHPSS services.

Thousands of health workers have been trained through the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP). mhGAP equips non-specialist health workers-such as general doctors, nurses, or community health workers-with the knowledge and tools to identify and treat common mental health conditions. In Syria, it has become a cornerstone for expanding access to care beyond the limited number of specialists. Specialized hospital services have also been strengthened, and WHO continues to support access to essential psychotropic medicines-still in severe shortage locally.

Responding to urgent and emerging priorities

The work does not stop at integration. Together with local partners, WHO has expanded services to address pressing concerns such as substance use and suicide prevention. Community-level interventions include mobile outreach teams, helplines, and Psychological First Aid (PFA) in disaster-affected areas.

"The mental health situation in Syria today is one of immense need, but also remarkable resilience," Dr Samarji explains. "We see rising levels of psychosocial distress, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, and substance use. At the same time, families continue to protect their children, communities support one another, and frontline workers show extraordinary dedication."

That dedication comes not only from his colleagues, but from Dr Samarji himself. Recognizing the risk of burnout, he emphasizes the importance of supporting frontline health and humanitarian workers.

"Even within the working environment, frontline health and humanitarian workers carry heavy burdens," he says. "Burnout and chronic stress are common, yet their commitment remains steadfast as they continue to serve others. All of these struggles are compounded by poverty, insecurity, and displacement. Mental health needs are not confined to any one group; they are everywhere, touching every family, every community."

Moments that reshape a life

For Dr Samarji, the motivation to care is constantly renewed by encounters with families affected by crisis. One moment stands out: meeting a displaced mother in Aleppo who had lost her home and several relatives.

"She told me: 'We can survive hunger, we can survive cold, we can survive pain, but how do we survive the silence of grief in our children's eyes? I need to talk to my son and check on him if he is okay, and that I am okay.' That question changed me. It reshaped how I communicate, how I train others, and how I practice even the simplest interventions."

This mother's words affirmed for Dr Samarji what he already knew: mental health care is not optional-it is essential.