Damascus, June 1 (SANA) Determining the fate of missing persons is an essential step in the psychological recovery of their families, a mental health advisor to Syria’s National Commission for Missing Persons (NCMP) said Monday.
Wael al-Ras told SANA that the disappearance of a family member without knowing their fate is among the most complex and painful psychological experiences, describing it in professional literature as “Ambiguous Loss” — where a person is physically absent but remains emotionally present in the family’s life.
This state of prolonged uncertainty makes it difficult for families to adapt to reality or move forward, he said, leading to chronic anxiety, persistent grief, sleep disorders, guilt, difficulty making future decisions, and higher rates of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Al-Ras said that resolving a missing person’s fate is a crucial step in the family’s healing path, even when the truth is painful. Clarity is less cruel than continued uncertainty, he said, and knowing the truth helps families transition from ambiguous loss to acceptance and adaptation.
He also warned that sharing graphic images or videos related to victims can cause deep psychological harm to viewers and especially to relatives, potentially triggering trauma symptoms and what he called “re-traumatization.”
Respecting the dignity of victims and the privacy of their families, he said, is a fundamental principle — not only from a human rights perspective but also from a mental health standpoint.
Al-Ras concluded that mental health is an integral part of justice and human dignity, and that supporting families of the missing is an investment in the cohesion and recovery of Syrian society.
The National Commission for Missing Persons announced on Saturday that it had reached verifiable and cross-referenced conclusions allowing it to determine with a high degree of professional certainty the death of the children of Dr. Rania al-Abbasi, and had informed family members before any public announcement under an humanitarian protocol prioritizing the family’s right to know and their psychological well-being.
KhA
