Filenews 23 May 2025
By Nikos Papadopoulos*
European Mental Health Week (19-25 May) offers an essential opportunity to highlight the importance of caring for the mental health and social well-being of our fellow human beings, especially at a time marked by constant challenges and multi-layered crises.
The Cyprus Red Cross (K.E.S.) approaches mental health not just as a theoretical issue, but as an essential daily act of care and support. Through the Psychosocial Support Service that it offers to vulnerable individuals and groups in our society, its humanitarian mission is expressed in practice.
It is worth noting that the term "psychosocial support" refers to a set of interventions aimed at strengthening mental and social resilience. These interventions are addressed either to individuals, groups, or even to an entire community and include the provision of counselling and psychotherapy as well as the organisation of educational activities and community interventions. The provision of psychosocial support is particularly important in times of crisis, such as natural disasters, armed conflicts, massive migration flows and economic crises.
The programs and social interventions offered by the Cyprus Red Cross cover basic needs of people experiencing difficult situations such as:
- Psychological support through the provision of psychotherapeutic sessions.
- The social inclusion and support of vulnerable people, aiming to reduce the feeling of loneliness and social isolation through the enhancement of mental resilience.
- Education, through actions and initiatives of the Service, where an effort is made to strengthen and raise awareness around issues such as migration, social exclusion, mental health and psychological First Aid.
The Psychosocial Support Service offers, among others, the following programs:
- "SUPPORT", which provides free psychotherapeutic sessions without any discrimination.
- "LET'S TALK", which offers telephone companionship to elderly people who experience feelings of loneliness or isolation.
At the same time, actions offered by the "TRANSITION" and "AENEIAS" programs aim to provide psychosocial creative activities to migrants and prisoners, while the "ELPIDA" program includes activities such as music, gardening, painting, board games and mental strengthening games for people residing in community nursing homes in the Nicosia district.
Responding to modern social challenges, the Service has also developed specialized tools such as:
- The series of educational books "Linos and Flora", which was created by the staff and volunteers of the Service. Through the use of the World Map and various migratory birds, the phenomenon of migration is explained while the ideas of peaceful coexistence are promoted.
- The book "A Brief Introduction to Psychological First Aid".
- The material on "Trauma Management", translated into 19 languages.
The Psychosocial Support Service of KES does not operate in isolation. Besides, Psychosocial Support is an integral part of the broader mission of the Organization to defend the rights and meet the needs of vulnerable groups. Through synergies with other departments, as well as with external partners, academic institutions, it responds holistically to the needs of the Cypriot society.
However, in our time the serious challenges are great. Mental health remains largely taboo, preventing people from seeking help. Loneliness is spreading, traditional structures are collapsing, and social life is increasingly digitized. Socio-economic inequalities are widening, while climate change is already having a psychological impact.
In a rapidly changing world, the Psychosocial Support Service chooses to deepen its work, supporting every person who is on the margins or feels alone, strengthening resilience and social cohesion, guided by human dignity. Mental health is a right for every person. And at the Cyprus Red Cross we will continue to stand by those in need, providing services on the basis of the fundamental principles of the Red Cross movement.
*Cyprus Red Cross Psychosocial Support Officer
