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Healing minds - MSF and mental health

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On World Mental Health Day, MSF highlights our work in providing people with mental health and psychosocial support after experiencing crisis or conflict. With mental health services across 49 countries, MSF has built mental health provisions into many of its projects. This gallery of images highlights the people MSF supports across the breadth of countries and contexts in which we work.

During 2016, MSF expanded its activities in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, and its sister city Comayagüela, where it provides mental healthcare for victims of various types of violence, including kidnapping, extortion, assault, threats and other high-impact violent events. MSF’s mental health teams provide individual sessions, group sessions and activities such as psychosocial workshops. “We try to work on the emotions, feelings and thoughts that people experience as a result of what happened to them,” says MSF mental health supervisor Edgard Boquín
Honduras. MSF provides mental healthcare for victims of various types of violence, including kidnapping, extortion, assault, threats and other high-impact violent events in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, and its sister city Comayagüela. MSF’s mental health teams provide individual sessions, group sessions and activities such as psychosocial workshops.
Fernando Reyes/MSF
A woman rests with her granddaughter during an MSF support session for women in the Tenosique migrant shelter.
March 2017 – A woman rests with her granddaughter during an MSF support session for women in a shelter for migrants in Tenosique, Mexico. According to an MSF survey, nearly one-third of women migrating through Mexico suffer sexual abuse.
Marta Soszynska/MSF
MSF psychologist Suhail Izaguirre works with preschool  children on self-expression and managing emotions. During this day´s session, the 6-year-old pupils were asked to draw how they imagine “fear” and “happiness”.
Venezuela. MSF psychologist Suhail Izaguirre works with preschool children on self-expression and managing emotions. During this day´s session, the 6-year-old pupils were asked to draw how they imagine “fear” and “happiness”.
Marta Soszynska/MSF
Tumaco, Colombia, August 2017: La Negra Ardiente, community organiser 

La Negra Ardiente (The Burning Black, her nom de guerre) is a community organiser in Tumaco, Colombia, and a victim of the violence that was an everyday part of life there for many years. As an adult she was abused, beaten and raped. This led her to a severe depression and suicidal thoughts. However, with the support of an MSF psychologist, La Negra Ardiente has walked through the darkness and emerged a strong, inspirational woman. She sings about her sorrows and about her new-found strength, and uses her singing to inspire others.  

"I try to contribute something good to the family. We are training young people, children, adolescents. Teaching them dance, teaching them how to sing, in order to dilute, to lessen the fear."
Colombia. La Negra Ardiente (The Burning Black, her nom de guerre) is a community organiser in Tumaco, and a victim of the violence that was an everyday part of life there for many years. As an adult she was abused, beaten and raped. This led her to a severe depression and suicidal thoughts. However, with the support of an MSF psychologist, La Negra Ardiente has walked through the darkness and emerged a strong, inspirational woman. She sings about her sorrows and about her new-found strength, and uses her singing to inspire others.
Fabio Basone/MSF
GISELE, 20 years old (name changed)
My cousin told me that I had bad luck, that something was wrong with me. A friend of my parents said that he was a mason and therefore could help remove the “bad eye”. He took me to an isolated place and asked me to get naked. He touched me and raped me. I even gave him 1000 gourds. I told my family what happened. Now he is hiding, and he is under the protection of a women judge. I want justice to be done. I also know he is a recidivist. He did the same to two little girls from my neighbourhood. The parents are scared so they don’t do anything. Both girls are 15 and 12.
Haiti. Gisele, 20 years old (name changed). My cousin told me that I had bad luck, that something was wrong with me. A friend of my parents said that he was a mason and therefore could help remove the “bad eye”. He took me to an isolated place and asked me to get naked. He touched me and raped me. I told my family what happened. Now he is hiding, and he is under the protection of a women judge. I want justice to be done.
Benedicte Kurzen/Noor
Nadia Essalah (Arabic cultural mediator for MSF) and Yamina Marzougui (MSF Counsellor) during a counselling chat with Zinati, from Palestine.
Belgium. Nadia Essalah (Arabic cultural mediator for MSF) and Yamina Marzougui (MSF counsellor) during a counselling chat with Zinati, from Palestine.
Albert Masias/MSF
Lilian Pizzi, MSF psychologist  during an emotional support session at the Italian Red Cross temporary tents’ camp, next to Tiburtina area, behind one of Rome Train Station. Since mid-July MSF provides psychological first aid support to people in transit.
Italy. Lilian Pizzi, MSF psychologist during an emotional support session in a camp next to the Tiburtina area, Rome. MSF provides psychological first aid support to people in transit.
Sara Creta/MSF
Majdal Anjar, considered one of the poorest regions in Lebanon, is hosting more than 80,000 Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011.
MSF is running a primary health care centre offering Chronic diseases treatment, Sexual reproductive health , mental health counseling and health promotion services to the vulnerable populations.
Lebanon. Majdal Anjar, considered one of the poorest regions in Lebanon, is hosting more than 80,000 Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011. MSF is running a primary health care centre including mental health counselling services to the vulnerable populations.
Abbass Salman/MSF
Nisreen at home, sharing a meal with her 4 children that she now has to support on her own: Rajhad 18, Younis, 12, Khalid, 7, and Hanan 5.
Palestine. Nisreen shares a meal with her four children that she now has to support on her own after losing her husband: Rajhad 18, Younis, 12, Khalid, 7, and Hanan 5. MSF mental health teams assist patients like Nisreen affected by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Anna Surinyach/MSF
MAKHMOUR, IRAQ - OCTOBER 30:

Dr Mahmoud Habeb, a psychologist speaks with his patient at a healthcare facility in Debaga 1 with Mental Health Activity Manager Bilal Budair. 

Scenes at MSF facilities at Debaga camp in Debaga outside of Erbil, Iraq. IDP's seek mental as well as primary healthcare from MŽdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) International.

(Photo by Monique Jaques/ For MSF)
Iraq. Dr Mahmoud Habeb, a psychologist, speaks with his patient and her family at a healthcare facility in Debaga camp outside of Erbil, with mental health activity manager Bilal Budair.)
Monique Jacques
MSF is currently running a project in Tehran, Capital of Iran.
This project is located in south of Tehran (one of the most vulnerable areas named as Harandi area), dedicated to vulnerable women and children under 15. MSF provides medical and psychological care, as well as social support to most at risk population for infectious diseases as sexually transmitted infections (STI), Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV-AIDS positive cases and tuberculosis.
Therefore, specific attention is given to drug users, sex workers, ex-drug users, direct family members of drug addicted people, (Afghan) labor children and gipsy community.  
MSF is providing health training through group consultation for drug users (with support of mental health team -including psychologist, socila worker and peer workers).
All of these picture have been taken inside the MSF Primary Health care Centre by a lady named "Mahsa Ahrabi-Fard" in December 2015.
A patient photographed in December 2015 at a primary healthcare clinic in Tehran, the capital of Iran, where MSF runs a number of programmes for people most at risk of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS. 
Mahsa Ahrabi-Fard
Ebola survivor Abdul Karim Turay photographed outside his home in Goderich, Freetown. 

Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free on the 7th November, but many survivors are still suffering from the physical, mental and social aftereffects of the virus. 

“Life is very difficult for us survivors now. And there is no more work. i’m a workman but now I have no job. The companies I worked for left because of Ebola. I have pain in body and so much money stress”.

Goderich, Sierra Leone, 08/11/2015.
Sierra Leone. Ebola survivor Abdul Karim Turay photographed outside his home in Goderich, Freetown. Many survivors of Ebola are still suffering from the physical, mental and social after-effects of the virus, with MSF providing support. “Life is very difficult for us survivors now. And there is no more work. I’m a workman but now I have no job. The companies I worked for left because of Ebola. I have pain in body and so much money stress.”
© Tommy Trenchard
“Life is very difficult for us survivors now. And there is no more work. I’m a workman but now I have no job. The companies I worked for left because of Ebola. I have pain in body and so much money stress.” Ebola survivor Abdul Karim Turay, Sierra Leone.
Miriam, 20 years old, is living in Dar Es-Salaam camp with her two daughters.
She had also lived in Doron Baga until the attacks in January 2015. "Everyone was just running," she remembered. "I picked up my two daughters, one on each shoulder, and I started running.”
Miriam, 20, in Dar es Salam camp in February 2017. "Everyone was just running," she remembered. "I picked up my two daughters, one on each shoulder, and I started running.”
Sara Creta/MSF
Every week, an MSF team of counsellors and health promoters puts on a play and conducts sensitisation activities with displaced people living outside and inside of Mweso school. Theatre is used as an effective means of health promotion and the performance touches on different themes, among them sexual and domestic violence. The MSF team use theater to present the different healthcare activities that are offered to people in Mweso.
Democratic Republic of Congo. Every week, an MSF team of counsellors and health promoters puts on a play and conducts sensitisation activities with displaced people living outside and inside of Mweso school, North Kivu. Theatre is used as an effective means of health promotion and the performance touches on different themes, among them sexual and domestic violence. The MSF team use theater to present the different healthcare activities that are offered to people in Mweso.
Sara Creta/MSF
74 year old Nina of Popasna, Lugansk Region of eastern Ukraine lives with her 8 year old grandson Nazar. At one point ten members of the extended family shared the small flat including 12 year old Luda. They were displaced from their own homes due to shelling. Nazar remained though, his mother was killed by a shell while fleeing her farm. Nazar’s father is still alive but continues to work the farm which is very near the frontline. In Popasna Nina and the members of the extended family experienced shelling. They would hide in a nearby basement. Often they would lose power and wait out the shelling in darkness except for some light from candles. While many people from Popasna left, Nina and the family stayed, there only other family are very far away, and there is no work for them there. The whole family is afraid when the shelling begins, the children cry, and Nina must take medication for her heart. Popasna, Lugansk Region of eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine. 74 year old Nina of Popasna, Lugansk region of eastern Ukraine speaks with an MSF counsellor. She lives with her 8 year old grandson Nazar; at one point ten members of the extended family shared the small flat. They were displaced from their own homes due to shelling. Nazar remained though, his mother was killed by a shell while fleeing her farm.
Robin Hammond/Noor
TB-cabinets are  important for an effective walk-in treatment. Here ambulatory treatment, psychosocial counselling for patients and their families, and social packages (nutritional support, hygiene kits and transport money) are provided to help patients adhere to treatment.
Ashyrkan Turdusheva (chief-nurse) negotiating with patients waiting for counseling.
Kyrgyzstan. Chief nurse Ashyrkan Turdusheva speaks with patients waiting for counselling at the tuberculosis (TB) cabinet. Here ambulatory treatment, psychosocial counselling for patients and their families, and social packages (are provided to help patients adhere to TB treatment.
Helmut Wachter/13photo
Women sit in the waiting room of MSF's women's health clinic in Kamrangirchar. Whilst young women wait to access the reproductive and family planning services the clinic offers, counsellors provide education about intimate partner and sexual violence, and make women aware of the support available. In 2016, the MSF team in Kamrangirchar, a slum in the south of Dhaka, provided medical and psychological support to 535 victims of sexual violence and intimate partner violence. In 2017, the numbers are set to be even higher.
A counsellor gives a talk on sexual violence and intimate partner violence at MSF's women's health clinic in Kamrangirchar slum.
Amber Dowell / MSF/MSF
A six year old girl at a safe house in Papua New Guinea. Her mother brought her to the centre after she and her two year old sister were raped in their bedroom by a 30 year old neighbhour. He threatened the family after they reported the abuse to the police. The family has spent seven months living in shelters and faces eviction, giving them no choice but return to their home, to live next to the man accused of raping the young girls. Despite having some of the highest rates of violence against women and girls in the world outside of a conflict zone, there are there are only six safe houses in the country, five of them in the capital, Port Moresby. Around half of survivors of sexual violence in the country are children most of whom were abused in their homes, by someone they knew.
Papua New Guinea. A six year old girl at a safe house in Papua New Guinea. Her mother brought her to the Family Support centre, where MSF provided timely medical and psychosocial care for sexual assault survivors, after she and her two year old sister were raped in their bedroom by a 30 year old neighbour.
Jodi Bieber