File photo used for representation only
Qatar’s mental health service has undergone a major transformation in the last two decades, as a result of health strategies and policies implemented in the country.
Mental health services have seen a transition from hospital-based to community-based care. The new comprehensive and integrated mental health system offers treatment in a range of settings, said Iain Tulley, National Lead for Mental Health and CEO of the Mental Health Services at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
Following the Mental Health Strategy recommendations, a better-resourced Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) started providing services from a new community mental health facility located in Doha. The 2013-2018 Qatar National Mental Health Strategy (QNMHS) set out a vision for a mental health system in Qatar. Also mental health and wellbeing is one of the priority areas in Qatar Public Health Strategy 2017-2022, with the focus on encouraging people to speak openly about mental health and to seek help early.
“The strategy has helped more people access mental healthcare, create awareness, reduce the stigma and prevent illnesses. The Ministry of Public Health has adopted an action plan for mental health promotion and prevention and to ensure risk and protective factors associated with mental illnesses are addressed,” Tulley told The Peninsula.
“As an early intervention initiative, healthcare providers ensured that information resources about mental health are widely available in healthcare centres and appropriate screening programmes were developed. Healthcare professionals were educated on symptoms of mental illnesses and how to respond appropriately to patients,” he said.
HMC and Primary Health Care Corporation have worked to identify people with mental illness and provide them with tailored methods of treatment. The treatment is provided in three categories as primary care, community mental service and inpatient care.
“A growing number of primary care health centers provide mental health screening and treatment services. These services complement the Mental Health Helpline efforts and are in line with the National Health Strategy target to improve access to mental health services and deliver 40% of care within the primary and community sector by 2022,” Tulley told The Peninsula.
“Patients are referred to community-based outpatient clinics and main outpatient clinics in the central psychiatric hospital. The most common diagnoses among referrals to these clinics are depression, anxiety and psychosomatic disorders,” he added.
The mental health community outreach service is provided by the two dedicated teams covering the whole country. This outreach service aims to ensure medication adherence, minimise relapse, and reduce the need for inpatient admissions. The psychiatric day-care service, is provided by a dedicated multidisciplinary team, bringing together all mental health specialities to support patients with chronic mental illness who need structure in their daily activities. A day-care programme is commonly used for patients who require a more intense follow-up than can be provided in a regular outpatient clinic.
