Mental health treatment in conflict zones: global perspectives and regional experiences

Armed conflict remains a major determinant of global mental ill-health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Recent international resolutions have expressed deep concern about the growing but unmet mental health and psychosocial support needs of populations affected by armed conflict and other humanitarian crises, emphasizing the urgency of strengthening prevention, protection, and care through evidence-based and rights-based approaches. Although progress has been made in closing historic gaps-such as the inclusion of mental health indicators in global humanitarian health systems-significant disparities persist between global commitments and the delivery of effective, contextually relevant interventions. Despite increasing policy recognition, mental health services in conflict-affected settings often lack sustainable integration, cultural adaptation, and coordination across humanitarian and health sectors. This paper critically examines contemporary approaches to the treatment of mental health conditions in conflict zones, with a particular focus on conflicts in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe. Drawing on recent empirical and policy developments from these regions, it proposes a conflict-sensitive mental health systems framework that bridges humanitarian, clinical and public health perspectives to inform scalable and contextually grounded strategies for improving mental health outcomes among populations affected by armed conflict.