Supporting mental health in times of catastrophe: RCPsych’s global response

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is proud to have a truly international membership, with 20% of our members based outside the UK.

As part of our Strategic Plan 2024–2026, we are committed to advancing international psychiatry and wider mental health services, recognising that mental health challenges transcend borders and require collaborative, global solutions.

World Mental Health Day 2025 focuses on mental health services in cases of catastrophes and emergencies, a theme that resonates deeply in today’s world, where conflict, climate disasters, and humanitarian crises continue to unfold. We, of course, recognise the profound psychological toll these events take on individuals and communities, and we are committed to offering meaningful support through coordinated, compassionate, and culturally sensitive action.

In 2020, the College formalised its approach to international emergencies with the launch of its first Emergency Response Plan, which we updated in 2024. This plan outlines how we respond to global crises, whether triggered by natural disasters, armed conflict, or political upheaval by;

• coordinating a unified College response through a dedicated steering group.
• partnering with national and international psychiatric associations.
• sharing evidence-based resources, including translated patient leaflets information resources and eLearning modules.
• avoiding political positioning, focusing solely on mental health support and human rights.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists draws on the expertise of its international volunteer pool to support mental health efforts during global emergencies. While the College does not deploy volunteers directly into crisis zones, it collaborates with trusted partners to deliver remote training, mentorship, and translated resources, ensuring that support is safe, culturally appropriate, and impactful.

Since implementing the plan, RCPsych has responded to multiple emergencies around the world including in Ukraine, in Palestine and in Myanmar:

• Ukraine war: We activated our emergency response, offering translated mental health resources and support to local providers.
• Conflict in the Middle East: In partnership with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), we continue to deliver mental health training to first aid training to frontline service providers working in refugee camps. We also reached out to psychiatric associations in Lebanon, Israel and Iran to offer assistance and access to our emergency resources.
• Myanmar earthquake: We worked with individual members to facilitate support and resource sharing, including recording a video recording of our patient leaflet Coping after a traumatic event that was disseminated on Facebook.

Our patient leaflet information resource Coping after a traumatic event has been translated into over ten languages including Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Ukrainian, and Burmese, to ensure accessibility for affected populations.

Our international work is underpinned by the RCPsych International Strategy 2024–2027, which sets out our commitment to global mental health through collaboration, capacity building, and advocacy. We maintain long-standing partnerships with organisations around the world and are continually learning and refining our approach.

We also contribute to global best practice by disseminating guidance on psychological first aid, making our eLearning module on complex humanitarian emergencies freely available and by hosting webinars and sharing resources.

Beyond direct support, we advocate for recognition of the long-term mental health impacts of catastrophes. We regularly write to the UK government and international bodies to highlight the psychological consequences of crises and the need for sustained mental health support.

When faced with these unfolding catastrophes and emergencies, we can feel frustrated and helpless that we can’t do more, but by putting our time and energy into what we can do, within our remit and by utilising the skills and expertise of our members, we can play a small role in supporting mental health services in cases of catastrophes and emergencies.

As Presidential Lead for Global Mental Health at the College, my view is this: RCPsych is a leading international professional body for psychiatrists and with leadership comes responsibility.

Our responsibility to our international members is to support them wherever they are, and to work with partners who share our aims of raising standards of care for patients with mental illness. We know there is global shortage of psychiatrists, which make it more important to collaborate internationally and share the limited resources we have with colleagues in need. If I can summarise our International Strategy in one word, it is 'Collaboration'.

Professor Mohammed Al-Uzri, Presidential Lead for Global Mental Health

Elen Cook, Director of Professional Standards, RCPsych