National Trauma and Substance Use Disorders: A Slippery Slope in Lebanon

Abstract

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.

‘The apocalypse’: A qualitative pilot study of the psychological aftermath of the 2020 Beirut blast

“…Arguably, the explosion could not have come at a worse time for the country. Indeed, the recent years have been particularly difficult for Lebanon, starting with a large humanitarian crisis brought on by the influx of over 1.5 million Syrian refugees, followed by mass anti-government demonstrations since October 2019, and a protracted economic crisis that saw the Lebanese pound lose over 80% of its value in under a year (Bizri et al, 2021; El Hajj, 2021; Rayes, 2021). Lebanon’s deterioration has been further aggravated by the COVID-19 outbreak, which reached its worse peak following the August 4 Beirut blast leading to the implementation of strict lockdown measures (El Hayek & Bizri, 2020; Fares et al, 2021).…”