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More specialist nurses, health and social workers are being trained to look after the wellbeing of the population, senior officials say
Emirati mental health experts say collaboration between agencies, ministries and organizations in the country is the way forward.
They were speaking at the end of a five-day conference, the 25th Congress of the International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) in Dubai.
Dr Essam Al Zarouni, Acting Chief Executive, Medical Services, UAE Ministry of Health Services, said he is optimistic as he sees different health sectors and sectors investing in mental health. “They allocate part of the budget, and they have a strategy. I can see more initiatives and new things emerging over the next five to 10 years so we can take better care of our patient population,” he said.
Collaboration between entities is key, which he said is already happening. “Overall, we’re going to see different entities collaborating more. In every project I’ve been involved in or an initiative we’ve launched, there’s been someone talking about mental health and wellbeing, so I can see all of this hard work producing positive impact and will translate into projects in the country,” he said.
He added that the UAE will be one of the leading countries in mental health, especially in investing in and using technologies that are crucial for prevention, research and treatment.
More locals will also be trained in the field. “We’re going to have more nurses or social workers and specialists who specialize in mental health to look after the well-being of different patient groups,” he said.
Also on the Future of Mental Health UAE team is Dr Meshal Sultan, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Al Jalila Children’s Specialized Hospital and the first Chairman of the National Professional Scientific Committee on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Health Professions (NIHS), United Arab Emirates. He agrees with Dr. Essam on the importance of education, saying: “I see the future of education in progress, in addition to child and adolescent psychiatry, clinical psychology, training, social worker training, mental health nursing, and medical venues . There’s huge room and a lot of room for improvement, and I think the way forward is collaboration.”
Noora Al Saadi from the Directorate of Knowledge and Human Development and the Schools Inspectorate said learning and wellbeing will be seen as a single concept in the future. “Learning cannot really happen without happiness,” she said.
She also said that in addition to creating a platform for sharing best practices, collaboration at the government level, listening to the voices of children, teachers, parents, and establishing external partnerships with international organizations are essential.
Ebrahim Alharbi, an early childhood workforce specialist at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, said they are working to raise public awareness of mental health issues through outreach programs and webinars. “It’s still a shame. It’s still not that acceptable to talk about mental health issues, it should be easy,” he said.
Talking about training, he said they actually do provide training to their partners and they have programs that address how teachers deal with psychological issues and how they work with children and maintain a healthy lifestyle while working with children. “They’re the ones who work with children and shape their future, so we’re trying to keep the whole ecosystem of their development up to the highest standard, and we can’t do that without explicitly addressing mental health,” he said
Amal AlBlooshi, National Wellbeing Program Director, Ministry of Community Development, said the National Wellbeing Strategy 2031 has been fully realized and delivered. “Thanks to the support of the leadership and the efforts of the various entities, different objectives including the promotion of good mental health have been achieved. There are many examples of different initiatives launched and implemented to ensure the health of our people,” she added, ensuring improved The wellbeing of the UAE has always been a priority in the UAE and this will continue into the future.
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