In the increasingly complex landscape of global health, the mental well-being of displaced populations has emerged as a critical area requiring urgent attention. Refugee camps, often characterized by overcrowding, scarcity of resources, and persistent insecurity, present formidable barriers to accessing mental health care. Against this backdrop, an innovative approach centered on community health workers (CHWs) offers promising avenues to bridge significant gaps in service delivery. A recent comprehensive scoping review authored by Istaiteyeh and Al-Delaimy, published in the International Journal for Equity in Health, delves deeply into this topic, providing crucial insights into how leveraging CHWs can reshape mental health care paradigms within refugee settings.
The mental health burden among refugees is well documented, with high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and other psychological conditions that stem from war, displacement, and chronic uncertainty. Traditional clinical mental health services, however, are often inadequate or completely absent in these settings due to logistical difficulties and a shortage of trained professionals. The research highlights how community health workers, typically individuals originating from within the refugee community or nearby locales, can serve as pivotal connectors between humanitarian organizations and vulnerable populations, enabling culturally sensitive and contextually adapted mental health interventions.
At the core of the review lies the examination of the multifaceted roles that CHWs fulfill. Unlike conventional mental health professionals, CHWs offer a blend of peer support, psychoeducation, and basic psychosocial care while maintaining trust among camp residents. Their unique positioning allows them to navigate social stigma, language barriers, and cultural complexities that frequently impede mental health outreach efforts. This conceptual framework underlines the necessity of providing adequate training and supervision to CHWs to equip them with robust skills tailored to mental health challenges evident within refugee camps.
The scoping review systematically synthesizes evidence from an array of case studies and intervention programs across multiple geographic regions. From East Africa to the Middle East, the analysis underscores notable variations in implementation strategies, ranging from short-term psychoeducational workshops to longitudinal mental health monitoring supported by peer groups. This diversity of approaches attests to the flexibility and adaptability of CHWs, while simultaneously signaling the urgent need for standardized operational protocols to optimize outcomes and measure effectiveness reliably across contexts.
One particularly striking aspect highlighted in the article is the empowerment potential engendered by involving community members directly in care provision. By fostering agency and resilience among refugees who become CHWs, these programs not only improve access to mental health services but also contribute to rebuilding social cohesion and mitigating feelings of helplessness and isolation. This social capital creation functions as a protective factor, buffering against the exacerbation of trauma-related symptoms that so often proliferate in displacement contexts.
Furthermore, the authors delve into the technological integration that facilitates CHW-led interventions. Mobile health (mHealth) platforms and telepsychiatry offer revolutionary possibilities to expand reach and sustain supervision and training, even in camps located in otherwise inaccessible areas. The digital augmentation of CHW roles enhances continuity of care, data collection accuracy, and the overall scalability of mental health programs, marking a significant leap forward in addressing systemic challenges endemic to refugee health services.
However, the review does not shy away from confronting persistent obstacles. Ethical considerations regarding the scope of CHW responsibilities are pivotal, given the complex nature of mental illnesses and the risk of exacerbating conditions without proper clinical backup. Additionally, financial constraints and the sustainability of community-based mental health programs remain pressing concerns, necessitating coordinated policy support, dedicated funding streams, and integration with broader health and social service frameworks.
The cross-disciplinary nature of these interventions requires multi-stakeholder engagement—from non-governmental organizations and UN agencies to local governments and refugee representatives. The article calls for the fostering of collaborative ecosystems that prioritize culturally competent, trauma-informed, and gender-sensitive programming, recognizing that mental health needs are not monolithic but rather intersect with a host of social determinants demanding nuanced responses.
Training curricula identified in the scoping review reveal best practices centered on task-shifting strategies, whereby non-specialists receive targeted instruction enabling the delivery of evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behavioral techniques adapted for low-resource settings. This empowerment of CHWs through specialized training remains a cornerstone of scalable, community-centered mental health care models that can rapidly respond to emergent crises and protracted displacement scenarios alike.
In addition, monitoring and evaluation frameworks outlined in the research emphasize outcome measurement tools that are both culturally valid and logistically feasible in camp environments. The establishment of feedback loops involving CHWs enhances program adaptability, allowing mental health services to evolve in response to shifting needs and resource availability, thus safeguarding program relevance over time.
The scoping review also situates its findings within the broader context of global health equity. By foregrounding community-driven approaches, the authors argue for a reimagining of mental health paradigms that prioritize empowerment and inclusivity over traditional top-down clinical delivery mechanisms, aligning with contemporary frameworks seeking to democratize health care access and affirming the right to mental well-being within forcibly displaced communities.
In conclusion, the landmark review by Istaiteyeh and Al-Delaimy represents a clarion call to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike. It consolidates a growing body of evidence that community health workers constitute an invaluable resource in addressing the acute and chronic mental health needs endemic to refugee camps worldwide. By harnessing this potential through rigorous training, ethical oversight, technological innovation, and sustained collaboration, the global health community may well transform mental health care delivery, paving the way for more resilient and dignified futures for millions uprooted by conflict and crisis.
The implications for future research include a need for longitudinal impact studies that measure not only mental health outcomes but also social and economic indicators tied to CHW interventions. There is also a pressing demand for policy frameworks that institutionalize CHW roles within formal health systems, ensuring adequate compensation, career progression opportunities, and integration with broader public health strategies.
As the humanitarian sector confronts escalating displacement numbers and protracted crises, this scoping review shines a spotlight on a pragmatic, scalable, and culturally resonant pathway to alleviate the mental health burden of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Moving forward, global commitment to supporting community health workers will be a cornerstone in the pursuit of health equity and psychosocial well-being within refugee camp contexts.
Subject of Research: Community health workers’ role in mental health care within refugee camps.
Article Title: Community health workers for mental health care in refugee camps: a scoping review.
Article References:
Istaiteyeh, R., Al-Delaimy, W.K. Community health workers for mental health care in refugee camps: a scoping review. Int J Equity Health 24, 217 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02580-6
Image Credits: AI Generated
