DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 13th Aug, 2020) The "Jusoor" mental health initiative, which is a part of the activities within the Ministry of Community Development’s campaign "UAE Volunteers", has been launched, and it aims to ensure balanced mental health for all members of society, especially in light of the risks and repercussions left by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hessa Tahlak, Assistant Under-Secretary of Social Development at the Ministry of Community Development, MoCD, said, "Jusoor is an initiative where we offer cooperation and communication among all members of society towards creating a healthy mental environment for all, away from the disturbances, anxiety or various psychological pressures as a result of the challenges taking place in the world that may have an impact on our local community."
"The World Health Organisation preceded last March many tips and guidelines necessary to protect the mental health of individuals and societies in light of the risks and repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, so the initiative "Jusoor "comes To affirm that it is necessary to ensure balanced mental health for all, and we must face the various challenges that life sets in our path, and give our society the opportunity to live a healthy and positive life correctly," Tahlak added.
The initiative aims to permanently communicate between members of society, by organising mental health awareness sessions, which includes general advice on how to deal with life’s pressures, under the supervision of a group of volunteer experts in the field of mental health. This is done in a way to guarantee that participants obtain proper scientific advice on how to express the challenges they face and learn the correct ways to adapt to some problems within the community.
The "Jusoor" Initiative relies on a working mechanism that includes many general mental health issues and is discussed with some experts in this field, with the participation of many members of the local community where the topics can be presented in advance, or some important social issues can be suggested by the participating audience.
Examples of some of the topics raised include the following: Return to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and going back to work.
Anxiety disorders, including panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobia.
Children on the spectrum and sudden changes as a result of the pandemic.
Post-traumatic stress disorder including physical injury, and trauma caused by Covid-19 infection.
Personality disorders including paranoid personality disorder, semi-schizophrenic personality disorder, schizoaffective personality disorder, and antisocial personality disorder.
Eating disorders including body dysmorphic disorder, anorexia nervosa, nervous bulimia and a compulsive eating disorder.
Work anxiety including job instability, financial instability, and job loss.
The "Jusoor" Initiative is aligned with the foundations of the national policy to promote mental health in the UAE as approved by the Cabinet in 2017 under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Prevention with five strategic goals, including: Enhancing the effectiveness of leadership aspects in the field of mental health; Developing, enhancing and expanding the scope of comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health services that are directed to society in all its categories and ages; Promoting multi-sectoral cooperation to implement the mental health promotion policy; Strengthening the prevention of mental disorders for all groups and ages of society, and Strengthening capabilities, improving information systems, collecting, using and activating data, and conducting mental health research in order to develop its services.
The activities of the National Campaign "UAE Volunteers", announced by the Higher National Committee for the Management of Volunteering during crises, started early April under the umbrella of the "volunteers.ae" platform in partnership with the Ministry of Community Development and the Emirates Foundation, under the supervision of the National Authority for Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management.
