Mental Health Challenges of Migrant Domestic Workers in Lebanon: Community-Based Solutions

Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in Lebanon face severe mental health challenges due to exploitative labor conditions, social isolation, and inadequate access to mental health services. The restrictive Kafala system exacerbates these issues by limiting workers' mobility, exposing them to abuse, and excluding them from labor protections. Despite high rates of psychological distress—including anxiety, depression, and trauma—MDWs encounter significant barriers to mental health support, such as language constraints, lack of culturally competent services, and distrust in formal healthcare institutions.