DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 29th Jun, 2020) Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing, and Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office, participated in a brainstorming session with the volunteers of the Mental Support Line, the community initiative launched last May by the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing under the umbrella of UAE Volunteers.
During the meeting, volunteers shared their experiences and exchanged ideas and suggestions on ways to further develop and improve the Mental Support Line, one of the government initiatives and national efforts to provide citizens and residents with mental health support in dealing with challenges posed by the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic.
Thanking the volunteers, Al Roumi said that giving, charity, and helping others are values deeply inherent in Emirati society, established by the country’s Founding Fathers, who fostered a culture rooted in tolerance and love for others which aims to enhance the social quality of life.
She said the Mental Support Line reflects the country’s leadership vision in promoting such authentic values, constituting a realisation of its directives and the state's efforts in handling the consequences of the virus by focusing on protecting and promoting the physical, social and mental health of citizens and residents.
She commended the tireless efforts and exceptional role played by Mental Support Line staff volunteers and psychosocial specialists.
Al Roumi also thanked the Supreme National Committee for Volunteerism in Crises for supporting the hotline, as well as Emirates Foundation, Ministry of Community Development, SEHA, and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre for their effective contributions towards the initiative’s success.
During the meeting, Dr. Adel Ahmed Karrani, a consultant psychiatrist who heads the Mental Support Line’s advisory committee, said that listening to people and responding to their psychological needs was the "Epitome of Volunteering".
Dr. Karrani said that psychological stress had increased with the appearance of COVID-19, necessitating the launch of initiatives that could provide relief. These psychological benefits were not limited to callers, but also listeners, with a self-confidence boost resulting from the value provided to fellow members of their communities, he added.
In their discussions with Al Roumi, Mental Support Line volunteers suggested developing a map of psychological challenges in Emirati society to accentuate the Mental Support Line’s work, continuing the work post-COVID 19, reaching out to various social demographics and groups, providing a psychological support line in various languages.
They also stressed the importance of benefiting from all influencers, specialists, and experts, making the most of the role of imams in enhancing societal awareness of the importance of mental health, developing informative and scientific sources through which materials and advice are provided to individuals facing psychological challenges. Also, the team suggested developing special mobile applications for psychological support linked to mental health hospitals and making use of technology and AI in the application to educate people on the importance of dealing with mental health without the fear of stigma.
In its first month, the Mental Support Line received more than 1,000 calls from various social demographics over the phone and via instant messaging application WhatsApp in both Arabic and English.
The National Programme for Wellness and Wellbeing launched the Mental Support Line last May as part of the UAE Volunteers campaign in collaboration with the UAE. Volunteers Platform, which is overseen by the Ministry of Community Development and Emirates Foundation in collaboration with SEHA and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre.
The Mental Support Line was launched as part of the UAE government’s efforts to protect society and face the challenges posed by COVID-19.
