Mental Health Support: In a Crisis, as a Student, State and Private

This page maps out where to turn for mental health support in North Cyprus: what to do in an acute crisis, campus resources if you are a student, the state system, and the private sector. For the wider healthcare picture see State and Private Healthcare; for the full emergency number list see Emergency Numbers and Pharmacies; for the student-specific health process see Student Healthcare. Nothing here is medical advice — consult a health professional for diagnosis and treatment.

A note on language: most public mental health services in North Cyprus operate in Turkish. Where a source confirms English-language service, it is noted below; otherwise assume Turkish and use your university's international office or a bilingual friend as a bridge.

What to do in a crisis

North Cyprus does not have a centralised, confirmed 24/7 mental health crisis or suicide-prevention line — unlike, for example, Turkey's ALO 183 or the national crisis lines some other countries run. No verified number exists to list here, and this page will not print an unverified one.

If you or someone else is at risk of serious harm:

• Call 112. State hospital emergency departments can connect you to psychiatric support.
• Go to the nearest state hospital's emergency department — the hospital list and contact details are in Emergency Numbers and Pharmacies.
• If you are a student, find out in advance whether your campus security or counselling centre runs its own 24-hour line, and save the number to your phone. Because there is no central line, this varies by institution — confirm directly with your university.

If you are a student: campus counselling centres

The major universities in North Cyprus run free, confidential counselling centres for students on campus. The list below is confirmed from official university sources, ordered alphabetically, and does not claim to be complete — if your university is not listed, ask your student affairs office whether an equivalent service exists:

• Cyprus International University (CIU) — Psychological Counseling and Guidance Center (PCGC) — Library building, LR210/LR212; tel +90 392 671 1111 (ext. 2086); email pdarem@ciu.edu.tr. Free individual counselling (weekly 45–50 minute sessions) for active students and staff. Official page
• Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) — Psychological Counseling, Guidance and Research Centre (PDRAM) — Gazimağusa/Famagusta; tel +90 392 630 2251. Free individual and group counselling. Official page
• Girne American University (GAU) — Psychological Counseling and Guidance Centre (PDRM) — 2nd floor of the Health Center; internal tel 1261. Free individual counselling. Official page
• METU Northern Cyprus Campus — Guidance and Psychological Counselling Program — Kalkanlı, Güzelyurt; tel +90 392 661 2025; email nccgpc@metu.edu.tr. Official page
• Near East University (NEU) — Psychological Counseling, Guidance and Research Centre (PDRAM) — weekdays 09:00–13:00 and 14:00–16:00. Free individual counselling. Official page

There is no shared coordination network between these centres; each university runs its own. If your university is not on this list, ask your student affairs or health centre whether a counselling service exists.

The state system: Barış Mental Health Hospital

Barış Mental Health Hospital (Barış Ruh ve Sinir Hastalıkları Hastanesi, Nicosia/Lefkoşa) is the Ministry of Health's central mental health institution, covering adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, and addiction treatment programmes.

• Address: Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu Caddesi, Nicosia/Lefkoşa
• General switchboard: +90 392 228 5441
• Outpatient appointment line: 1101
• Fax: +90 392 223 2219
• Email: info@brsh.gov.ct.tr
• Visiting hours: 12:00–14:00 and 17:00–19:00, every day of the week
• brsh.gov.ct.tr

Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital also runs a Clinical Psychology department; appointments go through the 1101 line or the hospital's online outpatient booking system. Other state hospitals (Girne Dr. Akçiçek State Hospital, Gazimağusa State Hospital, Lefke Cengiz Topel Hospital) also have psychiatry outpatient clinics — see State and Private Healthcare for the full hospital list and contact details.

What a foreign national pays at a state facility depends on the Health Fund premium tied to your residence application — see the "Health Fund premium in the residence application" section of State and Private Healthcare.

The private sector

Private psychiatrists and psychologists practise in North Cyprus. In keeping with this site's policy of not favouring individual commercial providers, this page does not recommend a specific name or clinic. A starting point for finding a licensed psychologist:

• Cyprus Turkish Psychologists' Association — the professional body working on the development of the profession and the protection of psychologists' titles and rights; its official site can be used to find or connect with a member. ktpder.org

Names, fees or specific specialisations in the private sector were not verified in this research round; this page will be updated if an official "registered private psychiatrist/psychologist" list is published.

Medication and continuity of care

If you take prescription medication and are relocating to or spending an extended period in North Cyprus, how to continue that prescription — which doctor can issue a new one locally, and whether the medication is available here — was not verified against an official source in this round. Clarify this with your treating doctor and with the provider you plan to use in North Cyprus before you travel.

Next steps

For the broader healthcare system, the state/private split and insurance, see State and Private Healthcare; for the full emergency number list see Emergency Numbers and Pharmacies; for the student health report and insurance process see Student Healthcare.