Lebanon, a small middle-income nation in western Asia, has been crippled by decades of political turmoil and armed conflict. A “quadruple crisis” hit the country over the past years, starting with the protracted humanitarian Syrian refugee crisis, followed by a severe socioeconomic collapse, the global COVID-19 pandemic, and lastly the Beirut port catastrophic blast. With the exposure to repetitive traumatic events and associated organic brain injury, the Lebanese population has become at a higher risk of addiction, among other psychiatric comorbidities. With the scarce statistics about the topic and limited addiction services in the country, collaborative local efforts and international help are urgently needed to fight the upcoming substance use epidemic. Raising awareness, providing adequate training, and securing resources for the management of both addiction and trauma are of utmost importance.
Authors Maya Bizri, MD, MPH; Samer El Hayek , MD; Hadi Beaini, BS; Firas Kobeissy, PhD; and Farid Talih, MD share, “in this letter, we discuss the potential exacerbation of substance use disorders in Lebanon in the context of the country’s quadruple crises. The limitations of addiction treatment services in Lebanon are highlighted and we discuss the need for a multidisciplinary comprehensive national plan to improve services and outcomes. Lessons from the Lebanese crisis may help other countries develop mental health contingency plans that can be implemented in times of national crisis and trauma.”
You can read this Letter to the Editor now in SAj Volume 42, Issue 3 or online.
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