World Mental Health Day 2025

Every year on 10 October, the world comes together to mark World Mental Health Day, a day designated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH). The day raises awareness of mental health, challenges stigma, and highlights the importance of access to care for everyone, everywhere. In 2025, the theme is Mental Health in Humanitarian Emergencies. This focus recognises the urgent mental health needs of people affected by natural disasters, conflicts, and public health crises worldwide.

Why Humanitarian Emergencies Matter

Humanitarian emergencies take many forms: earthquakes, floods, epidemics, wars, and forced displacement. These crises disrupt lives, threaten physical safety, and fracture communities. Beyond the visible damage, they often leave lasting psychological scars.

• 1 in 5 people affected by humanitarian crises experience a mental health condition such as depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress.

• Migrants, refugees, and displaced persons are particularly 

• at risk due to trauma, uncertainty, and loss.

• Crises also strain social structures, making access to support harder just when it is needed most.

Key Themes

• No health without mental health.

• Humanitarian crises impact emotional, physical, and social well-being.

• Migrants and refugees face unique vulnerabilities.

• Communities can only recover when mental health is part of the response.

• Care and support require collective responsibility.

Messages from the World Federation of Mental Health

The World Federation of Mental Health has emphasised the following priorities for 2025:

• Mental health and psychosocial support are essential. They must be integrated into emergency response, not treated as optional.

• Migrants and refugees face particular risks. Their journeys often involve trauma, loss, and displacement.

• Mental health is central to rebuilding lives. Recovery cannot happen without emotional and psychological healing.

• Investment in mental health is an investment in recovery. Every programme that includes mental health builds stronger futures.

• Mental health care saves lives and strengthens communities. Support reduces suffering, restores dignity, and fosters resilience.

• Protecting humanitarian workers is critical. They, too, face immense pressure and require support to continue their vital roles.

How We Can All Respond

The responsibility for protecting mental health in humanitarian emergencies does not fall on a single group. It is a shared responsibility.

• Governments must embed mental health into policies and emergency responses.

• Health and social care providers must ensure access to treatment and psychosocial support.

• Schools and educators play a role in supporting children affected by trauma.

• Community groups and social institutions provide safe spaces and ongoing care.

By working together, we can reduce suffering, foster resilience, and protect the well-being of the most vulnerable.

World Mental Health Day 2025 reminds us that mental health is a human right, and in times of crisis, it becomes even more vital. Whether through policy, community action, or personal support, everyone has a role to play in ensuring that no one is left behind.

On this day, let us stand together to recognise the invisible wounds of humanitarian emergencies and to commit to a future where mental health is valued, protected, and supported for all.

#WorldMentalHealthDay