We’ve worked with community partners to create a ‘help with your concerns and worries’ guide. Download the resource.

We know that the recent events in Afghanistan are a cause of great concern for Afghans living in the capital. Lots of people are worried about the situation back home and fears for friends and family will be widespread at this time.

While feeling this way is understandable, it’s important to remember there is help available for those that need it.

Here we hope you will find tools and and ideas to help keep yourself well and useful ways to get support for those that are finding it hard. These are alongside some useful ways to get further support and also access healthcare services.

Please note – we are currently working to have translated versions of this resource made available digitally and in hard copy. Please let the Thrive LDN team know if you’d like to learn more about this: info@thriveldn.co.uk.

This resource has been produced by Thrive LDN in partnership with the Afghan Association of London, Afghan Association Paiwand, the Refugee Council, the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health at King’s College London, and Good Thinking. The resource was funded and supported by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. 

We’ve worked with community partners to create guidance for professionals or volunteers that will come into contact with the Afghan refugee community. Explore the guidance in full.

It is intended to help you support the mental health and wellbeing of those refugees. While not at all comprehensive, we hope to lay a framework for engagement and promote shared learning across the system.

In this guidance you can explore information on the perceptions of mental health in the Afghan community, advice on engaging with the community on this subject and practical methods to support these conversations. You will also find information on assisting Afghan refugees to access professional support including signposting to wider community support services.

This list is by no means extensive and is meant to serve as a starting point:

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Directory for Refugees and Migrants in London. Produced by the Centre for Society of Mental Health at King’s College London.
• Moments for Mindfulness. A self-help guide to managing stress and uncertainty by the Refugee Council.
• Resources to support refugees and asylum seekers in accessing and understanding the NHS.
• A trauma workbook developed by Good Thinking to help those who have experienced trauma to process their emotions and begin to heal.
• Further coping mechanisms for stress by Good Thinking.
• City of Sanctuary’s Mental Health Resource Pack aimed towards professionals working with refugees and asylum seekers.