Mental Health in Humanitarian Emergencies

World Mental Health Day 

World Mental Health Day serves as a powerful reminder that there is no health without mental health. Each year on October 10, individuals and organizations around the globe come together to raise awareness, promote understanding, and advocate for mental well-being for all.

This year’s theme, “Mental Health in Humanitarian Emergencies,” focuses on the urgent need to support the mental and psychosocial needs of people affected by crises — including natural disasters, wars, pandemics, and other emergencies.


💚 The Hidden Toll of Crises

Humanitarian emergencies cause not only physical harm but also profound emotional distress. It’s estimated that one in five individuals living through such crises will experience a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Providing mental health support during these times isn’t just compassionate — it’s lifesaving. It gives people the strength to cope, the space to heal, and the foundation to rebuild their lives and communities.

To make this possible, governments, health professionals, educators, and communities must work together. By investing in evidence-based, community-driven interventions, we can respond to immediate needs and foster long-term recovery.


🧠 Nutrition and Mental Health:
The Mind-Body Connection

Mental health and nutrition are deeply intertwined. Food provides more than calories — it delivers the nutrients that regulate mood, cognition, and emotional balance. During crises, when food security and stress levels are both at risk, maintaining proper nutrition is essential to mental health care.

🍎 How Nutrition Supports Mental Well-Being

• Omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds) may reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• B vitamins (from leafy greens, beans, eggs, and whole grains) help produce serotonin and other neurotransmitters that stabilize mood.
• Iron and zinc deficiencies are linked to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
• Antioxidant-rich foods like berries and citrus fruits help combat oxidative stress in the brain.
• Fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir promote gut health, which is connected to emotional regulation through the gut-brain axis.

Even small improvements — like adding fruits, vegetables, and water to emergency rations or providing nutrition education in shelters — can make a meaningful difference in mental resilience.


🩺 Spotlight: Eating Disorders in Crisis
 Understanding Anorexia Nervosa

In humanitarian or high-stress environments, mental health disorders like anorexia nervosa can become more severe or overlooked.
Anorexia is a serious eating disorder characterized by food restriction, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. It is not simply about food — it’s about control, identity, and emotional pain.

During emergencies, disruptions in food access and the stress of instability can worsen disordered eating behaviors. Recognizing the signs early — extreme weight loss, obsessive thoughts about food or body size, withdrawal, and fatigue — is vital.

Treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach that combines medical care, nutrition therapy, and psychological support. Rebuilding a healthy relationship with food takes time, patience, and compassion.

🌱 Building Resilience Together

As communities recover from crises, mental health and nutrition programs should be part of every humanitarian response plan. When individuals are nourished — physically and emotionally — they are better able to adapt, rebuild, and thrive.

Simple steps like:

• Integrating mental health counseling with nutrition support programs,
• Training local caregivers to identify early signs of distress, and
• Providing safe spaces for community meals and conversation,
• can transform recovery efforts and restore hope.

💬 Final Reflection

“Good mental health and good nutrition are both essential for survival, recovery, and growth. When we nourish the mind and body together, we strengthen the human spirit.”

On this World Mental Health Day, let us commit to creating a world where mental health is valued, protected, and accessible for all — especially for those enduring the hardest of times.

Together, we can build stronger, more resilient communities — one meal, one conversation, and one act of kindness at a time.

Resources

1. World Mental Health Day, Theme: Mental Health is a Human Right. WHO

2. NIH, Transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses.

3. If you believe you suffer from depression or mental illness, seek help. Mental Health America

Call the 24-hour, toll-free, confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or go to 

https://988lifeline.org/

 

National Mental Health Month The Relationship Between Nutrition and Depression

Understanding Nutrition, Depression and Mental Illnesses,   T. S. Sathyanarayana Rao, M. R. Asha,1 B. N. Ramesh,2 and K. S. Jagannatha Rao2 (To review the entire article, click the following link.)

Nutrition and food patterns play a key role in the onset, severity, and duration of depression. These may include poor appetite, binge eating, overeating, anorexia, skipping meals, and a desire for sweet foods. Nutritional neuroscience is an emerging discipline shedding light on the fact that nutritional factors are intertwined with human cognition, behavior, and emotions. 

The dietary intake pattern of the different populations throughout the world reflects they are often deficient in many nutrients, such as essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have indicated that daily supplements of vital nutrients are often effective in reducing patients' symptoms. Supplements containing amino acids have also been found to reduce symptoms, as they are converted to neurotransmitters which in turn alleviate depression and other mental health problems. When we take a close look at the diet of depressed people, an interesting observation is that their nutrition is far from adequate. They make poor food choices and selecting foods that might actually contribute to depression

The most common nutritional deficiencies seen in patients with mental disorders are of omega–3 fatty acids, B vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that are precursors to neurotransmitters. Accumulating evidence from demographic studies indicates a link between high fish consumption and low incidence of mental disorders; this lower incidence rate being the direct result of omega–3 fatty acid intake. The majority of Asian diets are usually also lacking in fruits and vegetables, which further leads to mineral and vitamin deficiencies.

Carbohydrates have been found to affect mood and behavior. Eating a meal rich in carbohydrates activates the release of insulin in the body. Insulin helps let blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy and the production of tryptophan to the brain. Consumption of diets low in carbohydrates tends to generate depression due to the lack of production of serotonin and tryptophan.

Protein intake affects brain functioning and mental health. Many of the neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids. If there is a lack of amino acids, this can associate with low mood and aggression in patients. The excessive buildup of the amino acids phenylalanine may lead to brain damage and mental retardation this disease is called phenylketonuria.

As more resource is collected the relationship between nutrition and depression are unquestionably linked. Mood improvement has been associated with improved vitamin B2 and B6 status. Thiamine is linked to cognitive performance particularly in the older population. Clinical trials have indicated Vitamin B12 may delay the onset of signs of dementia. 

A study observing patients with depression and low blood folate levels has identified a strong predisposing factor of poor outcome with antidepressant therapy. It is not clear yet whether poor nutrition, as a symptom of depression, causes folate deficiency or primary folate deficiency produces depression and its symptoms.

Another relationship between diet and depression involves old age. Related factors include unintentional weight loss; often linked to increased morbidity and premature death; a reduction in taste and smell, poor dentition, the use of medications that may depress the appetite. 

Resources
Mental Health America 500 Montgomery Street, Suite 820 Alexandria, VA. 22314 Phone (703) 684.7722

Call the 24-hour, toll-free confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or go to www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org