The Mental Health Service of the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has launched a set of new services on the 16000 unified helpline to assist members of the public in accessing specialised psychological support services during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

Dr. Majid Al Abdullah, Head of Mental Health Services at HMC, said that the (COVID-19) pandemic affected thousands of people physically, but affected the mental and emotional health of many more people in Qatar. He noted that the coronavirus forced people to change many aspects of their lives as the routine turned today for many people upside down, explaining that even in normal circumstances, many people may experience some form of stress or psychological disorder, but with the emergence of the COVID-19 virus and its effect on life today can be a major cause of stress and anxiety.

He pointed out that the launch of the mental health help line and the virtual counselling service to provide support came because of the urgent need for these services as the new helpline was launched in the beginning of April to provide support to people suffering from stress or mental disorder as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The helpline includes a team of experienced mental health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, social researchers and nursing personnel from various institutions. Team members are assessing the situation and providing support for callers of four major groups: children, adolescents and their parents, adults, the elderly, and front-line health care workers.

The new virtual counselling service started at the beginning of May and it enables individuals to communicate with a mental health specialist via video call where there are many benefits of this new service, including protecting the health and safety of patients, improving access to mental health support, and helping to reduce the stigma associated with apply for mental health services.

Dr. May Muraisi, Executive Director, Clinical Development and head of psychology at HMC, said that there is an important advantage of the virtual service and helpline that it reduces the stigma that often accompanies the request for support on the level of mental health.

She added that patients may be very shy about asking for help and visiting mental health hospitals or health centres that deal with mental health, but through the virtual counselling service, patients have more privacy as they can have access the help they need while they are at home.

Source : The Peninsula

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