Narmine Hamdi at WCHAN, UNHCR’s partner for mental health and psychosocial support. © UNHCR/ Hamzeh Almomani
Every day, Narmine wakes up with a purpose to improve someone else’s day. As a Syrian refugee, she is no stranger to mental health challenges, having witnessed firsthand how issues like anxiety, depression, and anger are all too common among displaced communities. It is this personal experience, she explains, that propels her to break the stigma around mental health.
“Some of the most important work I do is outreach and awareness,” Narmine shares, adding that many refugees arrive to Iraq with trauma from conflict they have witnessed back in Syria. Even though many have now been displaced for over a decade, this trauma is still very much real but many who need help, are often afraid to ask for it.
Narmine’s proactive approach, however, means she goes beyond waiting for people to come to her. Instead, she visits refugees in their homes, offering support and organising group counselling sessions. “If someone is uncomfortable speaking, we arrange for individual sessions or other ways to make them feel safe.”
She further explains that one of the most common issues she sees is anxiety, along with postpartum depression. However, with support from UNHCR and its partner, Wchan Organisation for Human Rights Violations, breathing and stress management sessions were introduced, which have been fundamental in helping the community address these challenges before they worsen.
The ripple effect of Narmine’s outreach is evident.
“When I visit a household, the next day, it’s a conversation in the neighbourhood. That’s a big step toward breaking the taboo around mental health. People start talking, and that’s how change begins.”
Narmine is running a group breathing techniques session to address anxiety and depression. © UNHCR/ Hamzeh Almomani
One of the refugees impacted by Narmine’s work is Fawzieah, who, after nine years of displacement, still struggled with emotional stress and anxiety. Living in Kurdistan with her eight children, she feared how seeking help might make others perceive her.
“I heard that someone could help me with stress, anger, and depression, but I was afraid people would look at me differently,” Fawzieah recalls. Despite her fears, she decided to take that first step and signed up to a group counselling session organized by Narmine and designed specifically to help the Syrian refugees tackle mental health challenges in their community through providing individuals with training on breathing techniques, self-kindness and stress management.
“What helped me the most was realising I wasn’t alone”, Fawzieah says as she remembers her first group session.
Since that first session nine months ago, Fawzieah has been on a substantial mental health journey. She recalls how the stress of her husband’s unstable job and the responsibility of caring for her children used to weigh heavily on her. “I used to come home and pick fights with my family, but I didn’t realise how much my anger was affecting them.”
In this context, the group support sessions became a lifeline.
Narmine gave a stress management exercise to Fawzieah during an individual session. © UNHCR/ Hamzeh Almomani
Over time, the stigma that once held her back started to fade. “My children used to hear people talking about me seeking help, but I taught them that mental health is just like any other illness—it needs treatment.”
Today, Fawzieah is confident in her ability to handle life’s challenges with a calmer mindset. “The first ones to notice were my kids,” she laughs. “Now, when I come home, they say, ‘You went to the mental health session today, didn’t you?’”
A growing movement within the refugee community to address mental health openly and without shame is the ultimate goal. Community workers like Narmine are the key to driving forward this change, with refugees taking the lead in specifying what works best for them and delivering the support needed to their peers.
“One person can impact a community. We all face mental health challenges, but by supporting each other, we can overcome them,” Narmine concludes.
In collaboration with the Department of Health and both international and local NGOs, UNHCR provides critical mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services to refugees and their host communities across Iraq. These services equip individuals with the tools to rebuild resilience and enhance well-being.
In 2024, UNHCR has provided nearly 10,000 mental health consultations and has mainstreamed the provision of mental health support into areas like education, child protection and gender based violence. UNHCR continues to work with the Government of Iraq to strengthen metal health provision through the public health system as well as advocate and support refugees to benefit from such services.
UNHCR thanks its major donors of unearmarked and broadly earmarked funds: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Private Donors.
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