Refer a patient to the Beside programme.
If you are a doctor, nurse, social worker, or community health worker, you can refer patients directly. There is no waiting list fee, no clinical discharge process, and no minimum referral volume.
A structured five-week programme delivered via WhatsApp.
Each participant is matched with a trained peer — someone who has lived through depression themselves. The peer checks in twice a week and guides the participant through five sessions of behavioural activation.
There are no clinical sessions, no prescriptions, and no requirement for the participant to attend a facility.
At the end of the programme, we send a brief summary to the referring clinician if they have requested one. Participants remain under the care of their original clinician for any parallel treatment.
- Present with mild to moderate depression (PHQ-9 of 5–19)
- Are 18 or older and can read and write in Arabic or English
- Have access to WhatsApp on their own phone
- Are not in acute crisis or at imminent risk of self-harm
- Are not already receiving structured psychological therapy
- Live in Lebanon, Egypt, or Zambia
Patients with psychosis, active suicidality, or severe depression should be referred to clinical services. We will always communicate if a peer reports a concern.
Simple to initiate. We do the follow-up.
You refer once. We take it from there and update you at the end of the programme.
Submit the referral form below
Name, contact number, language preference, and a brief clinical note. Takes two minutes.
We contact the patient within 48 hours
Via WhatsApp. We introduce ourselves, confirm eligibility, and answer questions.
The patient is matched with a peer
Within seven days of the referral. The peer facilitates the five-week programme.
You receive a completion note
At week six we send a brief summary including PHQ-9 scores at intake and exit, if requested.
Submit a patient referral.
All referrals are reviewed within two working days. We will contact the patient directly. If you have questions before submitting, email us at referrals@besidehealth.org.
Referral form
Patient information is held securely and not shared beyond the programme team.