A fifth of Libyans suffer psychologically

He is suffering Libya It has increased psychologically as a result of the crises that Libya has been going through for a decade and a half, amid official and social neglect, while doctors warn of the impact of comes from continuing to ignore the psychological side of Libyans. In recent years, Libyans have experienced wars, displacement, and the loss of loved ones, as well as unemployment, poverty, economic decline, and the consequences of climate change, including Hurricane Daniel Which hit the country in September 2023, and which still casts a shadow on a large spectrum of the population of the town of Derna and other neighboring areas in the eastern part of the country.
Psychologist Ibtisam Jumaa is still trying to help two girls under the age of ten and a young man over twenty years old, who are suffering from the city’s floods. tuberTo overcome what they lived with their families. She says they are suffering Post-traumatic stress disorder. The harsh scenes make the two girls cry or want to isolate themselves in a room inside the family home, or they attack them during sleep, etc. going through as a result of the supportive situations that the family provides, such as play, excursions, and traveling outside the country.” “And enrolling them in private schools, but it is more difficult for a man young man who lost his mother.” In her interview with Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, Jumaa mentions that the young man’s family is suffering from the tragedy of losing his mother in the floods, knowing that their father was died years ago aware of many scenes, the most difficult of which is an attempt to save his mother, who disappeared in the middle of the water.” On the other hand, he was told that his mother was found in the mass graves where the bodies of the victims were collected, so he went to see her when she was being reburied. , which made his condition worse. Jumaa says that “he refuses to enter the university again and prefers solitude and silence.”
Many people are suffering from very bad mental conditions as a result of wars. Jumaa confirms that children and young men who have lost their fathers in wars are not in the best situation. Ali Al-Ruwaie Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases and Addiction Treatment in Benghazi does not have accurate statistics on the number of people suffering from psychological disorders, which is also true for Al-Razi Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases mental and neurological in Tripoli. Jumaa confirms that “numbers may be limited to the residents of the two hospitals, but some of these people have been present for more than twenty years, and their suffering is not necessarily linked to events from a few years ago,” and she says: “What causes me to warn about the risk of psychological disorders worsening in the shadows, without follow-up, is the kind of The diseases that are related to the has been going on in the country in recent years, such as depression linked to stories about displacement, bullets, siege, and war, and the feeling of separation that results from the displacement and loss of the family environment, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, violence, and others.”

Jumaa points out that psychological treatment services are only available in five Libyan cities: Tripoli, Misrata, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, and Sebha She talks about the decline in the services of these hospitals in recent years , says: “These are approximate numbers, as families are used to treating their members in institutions outside the country to protect their children.” From social exclusion due to society’s view of those suffering from psychological disorders,” and he strongly warns about the consequences and consequences of the authorities’ neglect persistent mental disorders. , noting that “the least of its results will be the future addition of children to the unemployed labor force, and the possible increase in violence and crime.” used.” his defects are in the eyes of society, or his illness is transferred to him, and a list goes on of the dangers of these diseases without attempts to treat them.”
The World Health Organization estimates that after a major disaster, such as Storm Daniel, at least one in five people suffer from mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety and post stress disorder -traumatic. For this reason, mental health services were one of the top 3 priorities identified by the UN interagency assessment team that visited eastern Libya in the early days of the disaster.

The representative of the World Health Organization in Libya, Ahmed Zouiten, says that mental health services are essential, we are cooperating with the authorities to ensure that “those affected by the storm receive mental health support basic in primary health care facilities and community centers, noting that some of those in psychological crisis need special care from psychology and psychiatry. experts.”
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, conflict, security conditions, and the lack of basic services are major factors contributing to mental health disorders in Libya. In addition, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased levels of anxiety, vulnerability and psychological stress among all segments of the population, due to difficulty accessing primary health care centers, which are considered a gateway to refer patients to specialized centers. mental health services.