Dr. Wissam Kheir is an assistant professor of practice in clinical psychology in the Department of Social and Education Sciences at LAU.

He has extensive experience in the field of mental health, namely in emergency settings. He worked as a mental health advisor for the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) at the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon from 2014 until 2022. 

In addition, he provided several consultancies on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Lebanon. The focus of his work with the NMHP and WHO was on developing strategies, leading the integration of mental health into primary health care, conducting training and coaching for non-specialists in the field of mental health using WHO guidelines and tools (mental health gap action program, psychological first aid, Problem Management Plus, etc.). This is in addition to producing and reviewing technical documents and being involved in several research projects and studies such as the World Health Organization-Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) in Lebanon, the mental health Atlas, the 4Ws mapping, and the like. In addition, Dr. Kheir has assisted in providing mental health services to Syrian, Iraqi and Palestinian refugees. 

Research Interests

Dr. Kheir’s main interest is mental health research with populations in low-resource settings, particularly on contributing knowledge to efficiently address the social determinants of mental health in such populations. He also has research experience in the area of global mental health, including clinical experience and expertise in developing psychological interventions for common mental disorders in people with comorbid chronic illnesses.

On the side, Dr. Kheir is a musician and an endurance athlete.

Selected Publications

• Kheir, W., Zoghbi, E., Bteich, R., Rady, A., & El Chammay, R. (2021), “Modelling Target Workforce Estimates For Community-Based Mental Health Services In Lebanon,” Research Square (Preprint). 
• Abou Mrad, G., Kik, N., Hajal, S., Zoghbi, E., Kheir, W., & El Chammay, R. (2016), “Inter-Ministerial Substance Use Response Strategy for Lebanon,” Ministry of Public Health.
• Hajal, S., Kheir, W., Kazazian, B., & El Chammay, R. (2020), “Emotional Crisis Management User Guide,” Ministry of Public Health.
• Kheir, W., Kazazian, B., & Hmede, R. (2017), “Self-Care Manual for Front-Line Workers,” Ministry of Public Health.
• Hajal, S., Kheir, W., Kazazian, B., & El Chammay, R. (2019),  “Practical guide for media professionals on the coverage of mental health and substance use”, Ministry of Public Health.
• Abi Ramia, J., Harper Shehadeh, M., Kheir, W., Zoghbi, E., Watts, S., Heim, E., & El Chammay, R. (2018), “Community cognitive interviewing to inform local adaptations of an e-mental health intervention in Lebanon,” Global Mental Health (Camb), https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2018.29
• Richa, S., Khoury, R., JRouhayem, J., Chammay, R., Kazour, F., Bou Khalil, R., Kheir, W., Choueifaty, D., Kouba-Hreich, E., Gerbaka, B., & Adib, S. (2020), “Estimating the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in Lebanon,” Encephale, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.encep.2020.05.015
• Harper Shehadeh, M. J., Abi Ramia, J., Cuijpers, P., El Chammay, R., Heim, E., Kheir, W., Saeed, K., van Ommeren, M., van’t Hof, E., Watts, S., Wenger, A., Zoghbi, E., & Carswell, K. (2020), “Step-by-Step, an E-Mental Health Intervention for Depression: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study From Lebanon,” Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00986
• Abou Mrad, G., Kik, N., Hajal, S., Zoghbi, E., & Kheir, W. (2015), “Mental Health and Substance Use - Prevention, Promotion and Treatment - Situation Analysis and Strategy for Lebanon 2015-2020,” Ministry of Public Health.
• Kheir, W. et al. (2015), “The “4Ws” in Lebanon: Who’s Doing What, Where and Until When in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support,” Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon.
• Kheir, W. et al. (2015), “WHO-AIMS Report on Mental Health System in Lebanon 2015,” Ministry of Public Health and World Health Organization Country Office.

Academic Degrees

• PhD in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, 2018, Saint Joseph University, Lebanon.
• MA in Mental Health Policy and Services, 2019, NOVA University Lisbon, Portugal.
• MA in Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, 2012, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon.
• Training in Reconsolidation Therapy (Brunet Method), 2020, McGill University, Canada.
• Training in Interpersonal Psychotherapy, 2019, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York.
• Training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, 2009, Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Paris.