“Before, I only knew how to shout. Now I know how to listen”: A national model for community-based child and caregiver mental health and psychosocial support in Syria

Abstract Over a decade of conflict has ruptured protective layers for children, adolescents and caregivers in Syria, resulting in heightened mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs. Despite growing recognition of the potential of MHPSS in conflict zones, there are few documented cases of integrated, intergenerational programmes that work with children and their caregivers in parallel to strengthen child socio-emotional skills and the caregiving environment at scale. This study examines two nationally implemented MHPSS programmes, Sawa (“Together”) for children aged 6–17 years and Sanadi (“My Rock”) for their caregivers, co-created with families and delivered across Syria. Through a mixed-methods approach, early results suggest strong potential for intergenerational, trauma-informed, community-based MHPSS interventions in strengthening emotional regulation, relational communication and responsive caregiving among families living through armed conflict and protracted crisis.