Qatar to celebrate world mental health day

On October 10, Qatar will join the global community in celebrating World Mental Health Day, an initiative to raise awareness of mental health as a priority health issue for all nations. Mental illness is common across the world and research undertaken in Qatar estimates that 1 in 5 people experience a mental health issue at any one time. Mental illness can affect anyone, at any stage of their life, and this has a significant impact on the individual, family and society. World Mental Health Day has special significance this year as it marks the beginning of a series of activities that will bring mental health to the fore of the health agenda for Qatar. "There is strong recognition in Qatar about the importance of mental health in enhancing our population’s health and wellbeing" said His Excellency, Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani, the Minister of Health and Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Health. "Qatar’s public and private health service providers are united behind an integrated plan to promote good mental health and to increase access to a range of quality services for those who need them. This is further evidence of National Health Strategy’s transformation of the health sector". Good mental health is about people being able to make a positive contribution in their community and coping with the daily stresses of life. "Mental health is a priority for all people – it affects everyone. It’s not just about illness; mental health is an essential component of everyone’s wellbeing. It is as important as physical health" said Sheikh Mohammed Hamad Al Thani, Director of the Public Health at the Supreme Council of Health. "We want to ensure that everyone in Qatar can reach and maintain the highest level of wellbeing and that’s why we want to raise awareness about mental health and promote healthy lifestyles". Mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are widespread global health issues, but many people are still not receiving the treatment and support they need. Negative perceptions about mental illness and limited availability of services often cause people to delay or avoid seeking help. "We want to encourage people who think they may have symptoms of a mental illness to seek advice from a health professional as soon as possible" said Dr. Suhaila Ghuloum, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at Hamad Medical Corporation. "Effective treatments are available and early detection will ensure the greatest chance of recovery and restoring quality of life". The Psychiatry Department at Hamad Medical Corporation has a dedicated workforce of clinicians who currently provide care for people with mental health issues in Qatar. Transformation of services is underway to give people more options for accessing mental healthcare, especially in community-based and primary care settings. "Many people experiencing mental health issues in Qatar are not being detected. Our plan is that the majority of people are managed in primary healthcare, especially those with mild to moderate conditions such as depression and anxiety" said Dr. Fatema Musa, Head of the Mental Health Program at the Primary Health Care Corporation. Providing support for patient’s mental health is a key activity of the National Primary Health Care Strategy and training of staff is the first priority. "We are in the process of training family physicians so that they can identify symptoms of mental illness for people visiting our Primary Health Care Centres". A central goal of the Qatar Mental Health initiative is to build a responsive community. It is important that all of the people of Qatar know how to identify the symptoms of mental illness, know where to refer people for appropriate services and understand how healthy lifestyle choices can contribute to good mental health and wellbeing.