Beirut, Lebanon (Enmaeya News) — In the aftermath of ongoing regional conflicts and violent attacks along Lebanon’s southern border, the emotional toll on the country’s youth is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Teenagers across Lebanon particularly in Beirut and the south, have alarming levels of anxiety, panic attacks, and sleep disturbances, according to local psychologists and educators.
The rise in mental health symptoms is being attributed to cumulative war trauma, displacement, and the general climate of insecurity. School counselors are overwhelmed, especially in areas where repeated conflict has disrupted daily life.
Several high schools in Beirut and southern Lebanon report a sharp rise in students seeking psychological support. However, the country’s fragile healthcare system and years of underfunding in mental health services have left schools unequipped to meet this surge in demand.
Local NGOs are stepping in to fill the gap. IDRAAC (the Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care), one of Lebanon’s leading mental health organizations, has issued an urgent call to integrate mental health services into the national education system.
“Mental health support should not be an afterthought it must be embedded in every school,” stated the organization in a recent appeal. “Without immediate action, we risk losing a generation to unhealed trauma.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also noted that mental health remains one of the most underfunded sectors in Lebanon’s health system. In its 2023 Lebanon Country Cooperation Strategy, the WHO called for the integration of psychosocial support into emergency and primary care services, particularly in vulnerable communities.
UNICEF, which has been supporting mental health programs in Lebanon’s schools since 2021, warns that current funding levels are insufficient. “We need a nationwide response,” said a UNICEF spokesperson in a May 2024 press briefing. “Children and teens are internalizing violence. Without psychological support, their development and education are at risk.”
As Lebanon continues to grapple with economic instability and political gridlock, mental health professionals warn that untreated psychological trauma in youth could have long-term consequences for the country’s social cohesion and future resilience. The call is clear: unless comprehensive, trauma-informed support systems are implemented in schools, the emotional wounds of war may take years if not decades to heal.
