By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: To increase awareness and encourage voluntary work, the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has signed an agreement with Wayak — Society of Mental Health Friends.
PHCC and Wayak will implement joint programmes to create awareness about mental health problems and make more individuals get involved in voluntary work to support people with psychological issues.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by Dr Samya Al Abdulla, Executive Director, Operations Department, PHCC, and Mohammad Al Benali, Executive Director, Wayak.
Dr Al Abdulla said the agreement is in line with Qatar Mental Health Strategy and National Primary Health Care Strategy 2013 -2018, which stress the need to enhance medical services for people with mental health problems.
“The MoU will mainly allow PHCC and Wayak to work together, exchange experience and information. “We also look to encourage more people to come forward and help people with mental health problems,” she added.
She said the MoU also aims at scientific research cooperation to promote humanitarian cooperation between the two sides.
Al Binali said, “We aim at providing the best services and support to people with mental health problems and creating awareness among the public to treat such people with dignity.”
The National Mental Health Strategy was launched in 2013 to address mental health problems of people as 20 percent of Qataris suffer from mental disorders and only a very few seek medical attention due to social stigma.
A study conducted among 1,063 Qataris attending primary healthcare centres indicates that one in five suffers from mental disorder. It also suggests that mental disorders are particularly common among women and adolescents. The prevalence of generalised anxiety disorder is 20.4 percent, major depressive disorder 19.1 percent and other psychiatric disorders 13.36 percent.
Another study suggests that the majority of mental disorders fall within mild to moderate categories, with about 10 percent of disorders categorised as severe in nature.
However, the number of people seeking medical attention for mental disorders is very low. For instance, only 25 percent of Qataris and five percent of expats sought psychiatric services at Hamad Medical Corporation in 2011.
The Peninsula
