Use of store-and-forward tele-mental health for displaced Syrians

The Syrian conflict has resulted in the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century with millions of people displaced inside Syria or in neighbouring countries. Severe shortages of mental health professionals in the area have created many challenges in addressing the mental health needs of this vulnerable population. In response, the Syrian Tele-Mental Health (STMH) Network was established in June 2014 following evidence gathered through a pilot survey. Using a ‘store-and-forward’ type of telemedicine, the STMH network was able to provide psychiatric consultations to 19 primary care centres serving 123 Syrian patients over a period of three years. In this article, we report and comment on the data obtained during this period including the strengths, limitations and challenges of such an approach.