“I was in a very dark place. It felt like a cancer was eating up my mind and soul. I was dying slowly from the inside, each day more. I hit rock bottom, but my family depends on me and giving up was not an option. I was devastated and suffering in silence” Says the 25 year-old woman from Hama

More than a decade of war has had profound consequences on peoples’ physical and mental well-being, and resilience in Syria.

The World Health Organization estimates that in areas affected by conflict, one person in five is living with some form of mental disorder, from mild depression or anxiety to psychosis. Worse, almost 1 in 10 is living with a moderate or severe mental disorder.

Exposure to armed conflict, forced displacement, sharp decline of the economy and associated hardships such as poverty, unemployment, and social isolation substantially increase vulnerability to psychosocial distress, and prevalence of mental disorders. With more than 90 percent of the population living below the poverty line, few Syrians have been spared from the direct and indirect impacts of what constitutes one of the largest displacement crises in the world and millions are still dependent on humanitarian assistance for their survival*.