Mental health research among Syrian refugees in Lebanon: challenges and solutions

Abstract

More than 5.4 million Syrian refugees are registered in countries surrounding Syria, including an estimated 1.5m in Lebanon. Psychological and social distress among refugees is common, resulting in a wide range of emotional, cognitive, physical and behavioural problems. High-quality research on the mental health needs of Syrian refugees should play an important role in planning and providing services, yet conducting mental health research to a high standard in a refugee setting is particularly challenging. This article describes 2 research studies with Syrian refugees in the Beqaa region of Lebanon, setting out some of the challenges faced and the lessons learned in the process of conducting the research. This paper is part of a special edition of ‘Humanitarian Exchange’, co-edited with Anne Harmer, Manager of Elrha’s Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme, focusing on mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian crises