Identifying Barriers to Implementation of Mental Health Policies in Northwest Syria

This study aims to examine the barriers to the effective implementation of mental health policies in Northwest Syria (NWS). The Delphi technique was employed, and a total of 33 professionals consented to take part in the study. These participants were physicians, policymakers, and administrators involved in healthcare, and shared their insights into the barriers to the implementation of mental health policies. Three rounds of the Delphi technique were conducted to reach consensus among the participants. Within the data collected in the second and third rounds, scores for each barrier were analyzed, and the results indicated that there was a consensus on 16 different barriers with an interquartile width of less than 1.2. These barriers are listed as insufficient societal, cultural, and religious beliefs, policy and coordination, insufficient human resources, funding and financial limitations and other related factors. These results provide a specific understanding of the limitations of mental health services and particular recommendations for reinforcing mental health impacts in NWS.