Fr | Ar

Dr. Rabih CHAMMAY

Faculty of Medicine

Assistant professor

(+961) 1 421 000 ext rabih.chammay1@usj.edu.lb

Rabih El Chammay is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, as well as an expert in public mental health. He is the founder and Director of the National Mental Health Program at the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, and the recipient of the 2023 United Nations Task Force Award for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health for Digital Health. The program aims to reform the mental health system through a comprehensive mental health strategy aligned with the World Health Organization's recommendations and guidelines. Rabih El Chammay is particularly interested in global mental health, with a focus on the mental health of refugees and strengthening health systems. He has been working on these issues regionally and globally for over 15 years with various UN agencies, universities, and international NGOs. He is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut. He is currently involved in several international research projects focused on policy, service delivery, and the development and implementation of mental health interventions. Recently, he was appointed chair of the new strategic and technical advisory group on mental health, substance use, and brain health, established by the World Health Organization. This group, consisting of around twenty experts, is tasked with advising the WHO Director-General on issues related to mental health, neurological disorders, substance use, and addictive behaviors.

Highest degree : Medical Doctor (MD) with a Specialization Diploma in Psychiatry - Saint Joseph University of Beirut


DegreesUniversityCountryYear
Mental Health Policy and Service organisationNOVA de Lisbon Portugal2014
Science de BaseSaint Joseph University of BeirutLebanon2009
Médecine LégaleSaint Joseph University of BeirutLebanon2009
specialisation PsychiatrieArab Board Liban2007
PsychiatrieSaint Joseph University of BeirutLebanon2007
Therapie Comportementale et CognitiveSaint Joseph University of BeirutLebanon2004
DrSaint Joseph University of BeirutLebanon1995

Medecine and Health

Feasibility uptake of a digital mental health intervention for depression among Lebanese and Syrian displaced people in Lebanon: a qualitative study https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1293187 Barriers, facilitators and proposed solutions to equitable mental health financing and service delivery for the Lebanese populations and displaced Syrians in Lebanon: Findings from a qualitative study https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003318 Cost-effectiveness of digital mental health versus usual care during humanitarian crises in Lebanon: pragmatic randomized trial dx.doi.org/10.2196/55544 Barriers and enablers to a coordinated MHPSS response in Lebanon: A case study of the MHPSS taskforce https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2024.100354 Training for Humanitarian Crisis Response and Mental Health System Reform: Chapter 10 of Global Mental Health Training and Practice: An Introductory Framework https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315160597 Feasibility randomised controlled trial of the Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions psychological intervention with young adolescents in Lebanon https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04571-9 Expanding mental health services in low- and middle-income countries: A task-shifting framework for delivery of comprehensive, collaborative, and community-based care 10.1017/gmh.2023.5 Power dynamics and participation within humanitarian coordination groups: a case study of the MHPSS taskforce in Lebanon https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003041 The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01470-2 Family systemic psychosocial support for at-risk adolescents in Lebanon: study protocol for a multi-site randomised controlled trial https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06284-y Promoting follow-up attendance among mental health patients at a primary healthcare center in Lebanon: A randomized controlled trial https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121221135990 Effects of a WHO-guided digital health intervention for depression in Syrian refugees in Lebanon: A randomized controlled trial https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pmed.1004025 Guided digital health intervention for depression in Lebanon: randomisd trial 10.1136/ebmental-2021-300416 Mental Health Stigma at Primary Health Care Centres in Lebanon: Qualitative Study https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-022-00533-y Promoting follow-up attendance among mental health patients at a primary healthcare center in Lebanon: A randomized controlled trial DOI: 10.1177/20503121221135990 Modelling Target Workforce Estimates For Community-Based Mental Health Services In Lebanon https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1192774/v1 Perspectives of healthcare providers, service users, and family members about mental illness stigma in primary care settings: A multisite qualitative study of seven countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258729 Displaced, Dispossessed and Silenced: The Need for Suicide Prevention and Response for Conflict-affected Populations 10.4103/intv.intv_24_21 Evaluation of Lebanon’s National Helpline for Emotional Support and Suicide Prevention: Reduction of Emotional Distress among Callers 10.4103/INTV.INTV_50_20 A closer look at patterns and characteristics of suicide in Lebanon: A first nationwide report of cases from 2008 to 2018 10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102635 Step-by-step: Feasibility randomised controlled trial of a mobile-based intervention for depression among populations affected by adversity in Lebanon https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2021.100380 Evaluating the Effectiveness of an E-Mental Health Intervention for People Living in Lebanon: Protocol for Two Randomized Controlled Trials 10.2196/21585 Improving mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in humanitarian settings: reflections on research funded through R2HC https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-020-00317-6 Estimating the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in Lebanon https://doi.org/10.1016/j.encep.2020.05.015 Planning the scale up of brief psychological interventions using theory of change https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05677-6 Reconsidering Rigidity in the Diagnosis of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: A Case Report 10.1097/PRA.0000000000000478 Behavior Research and Therapy Promising Results for the Adoption of Interpersonal Psychotherapy in Lebanon: Attitudes Towards Evidence-Based Practices Improved Among Clinicians After a Training Workshop 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103646 Promising Results for the Psychotherapy in Lebanon: Attitudes towards Evidenced-Based Practices Improved Among Clinicians after a Training Workshop NA Using COVID-19 Responses to Help Strengthen the Mental Health System in Lebanon http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0000732 Policy Makers’ Tough Choices for Psychological Interventions in Global Mental Health: Learning from Multisite Studies 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.4267 The Cultural and Contextual Adaptation Process of an Intervention to Reduce Psychological Distress in Young Adolescents Living in Lebanon https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00212 Step-by-Step, an E-Mental Health Intervention for Depression: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study From Lebanon 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00986 Using a Self-Report Card to Improve Mental Health: Evidence from a clustered Randomized Controlled Trial https://nudgelebanon.org/2020/01/31/using-a-self-report-card-to-improve-mental-health-evidence-from-a-clustered-randomized-controlled-trial/ Correction to: Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) intervention for the treatment of psychological distress in adolescents: study protocol for randomised controlled trials in Lebanon and Jordan https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3717-5 Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) intervention for the treatment of psychological distress in adolescents: study protocol for randomised controlled trials in Lebanon and Jordan https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3654-3 Community cognitive interviewing to inform local adaptations of an e-mental health intervention in Lebanon 10.1017/gmh.2018.29 Improving humanitarian crisis response policy and practice: mental health and psychosocial support coordination in Lebanon https://odihpn.org/publication/improving-humanitarian-crisis-response-policy-and-practice-mental-health-and-psychosocial-support-coordination-in-lebanon/ Strengthening mental health care systems for Syrian refugees in Europe and the Middle East: integrating scalable psychological interventions in eight countries https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1388102 Developing an interministerial substance use response strategy for Lebanon: process, content and lessons learned https://www.moph.gov.lb/userfiles/files/Programs%26Projects/MentalHealthProgram/Developing%20an%20inter-ministerial%20substance%20use%20response%20strategy%20for%20Lebanon%20process%20content%20and%20lessons%20learned.pdf A policy implementer’s perspective 10.1002/wps.20379 Lebanon: Mental Health System Reform and the Syrian Crisis 10.1192/s2056474000001409 Reforming mental health in Lebanon amid refugee crises http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.030816 Mental health legislation in Lebanon: Nonconformity to international standards and clinical dilemmas in psychiatric practice http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2015.08.031 Syrian Crisis and Mental Health System Reform in Lebanon https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61329-5 Psychiatric Morbidity, Phenomenology and Management in Hospitalized Female Foreign Domestic Workers in Lebanon 10.1007/s10597-013-9682-7 ADHD Prevalence in Lebanese School-Age Population 10.1177/1087054712445065 The integration of mental health into primary health care in Lebanon https://www.interventionjournal.org/article.asp?issn1571-8883year=2011;volume=9;issue=3;spage=265;epage=278;aulast=Hijazi;type=0