Reliable mental health assessment tools are essential for supporting children affected by conflict and displacement. This article reflected on the experience of adapting and administering a structured diagnostic interview, the MINI Kid, for Syrian refugee children and adolescents living in informal refugee settlements in Lebanon. This provided insights into the need for culturally and contextually sensitive approaches to ensure accurate, ethical, and effective care.

Although mental health interventions in humanitarian settings are expanding rapidly, the mechanisms driving change remain poorly understood. This study used a telephone-delivered version of the Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) with Syrian refugee children and adolescents. This revealed that treatment components, including trauma- and depression-focused modules, were drivers of change, with external circumstances and life events also playing a crucial role in shaping treatment outcomes. 

The pilot study investigated whether trained lay counsellors could deliver effective therapy over the phone to Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. The results reveal that remote therapy not only reduces mental health symptoms but also helps to overcome barriers such as transport, cost and stigma, offering a lifeline in humanitarian settings.