Mental Health Program

The growing complexity of the situation in the Arab region and its various impacts increase the need for community-based mental health care. Existing programs working in the field of mental/psychosocial health are few in the region and generally lack the necessary resources and tools that facilitate their work. ARC’s Mental Health Program aims at addressing the existing need for knowledge and right-based Arabic resources on mental health. The general objectives of ARC's Mental Health Program can be summarized as follows:

-      To increase knowledge of, and promote positive attitudes towards mental health and related issues within the community by disseminating appropriate and relevant information

-      Add to the corpus of resources in Arabic on mental health and related issues, including trauma and distress caused by occupation and conflict

-      Systematize access to such resources in multi-media formats(including ARC’s own resources on disability, primary health care and general learning fields)

-      Increase the pool of community actors with an improved knowledge of issues related to mental health,and develop their capacity to use appropriate resources in their work

ARC adopts a holistic,integrative approach to health that was defined in the Alma Ata declaration as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The attainment oft he highest possible level of health and well-being is a fundamental human right, regardless of a person’s colour,ethnic background, religion, gender, age,abilities, sexual orientation, or class; and is a most important world-wides social goal whose realization requires the action of many other social and economic sectors in addition to the health sector” 1. “Health is are reflection of a society’s commitment to equality and justice, and it should prevail over economic and political concerns. War,violence, and conflict provide risk factors that devastate communities and have severe impacts on the physical and mental health of their members”2. Thus, the importance of mobilizing communities for youth development and building assets that can protect individuals from such risk factors that affect their health.

ARC’s Mental Health Program builds upon the new trends of positive psychology (2002) that result in a shift of focus from dealing with mental health problems and disorders(focus on therapy) to the focus on prevention of behavioral, emotional, and psychosocial problems and disorders to widen the scope of concern and focus on mental health promotion and positive development.

Child and youth positive development is an ongoing process in which children and adolescents seek ways to meet their personal needs and build skills necessary to function effectively in their daily lives. It recognizes the potential which children and adolescents possess and builds upon their strengths, thus mobilizing the collective resources found in communities.

The promotion of mental health is situated within the larger field of health promotion and positive youth development, and sits alongside the prevention of mental disorders and the treatment and rehabilitation of people with mental problem sand disabilities.