HMC holds 1st Annual Symposium of Community Mental Health Services in Qatar

Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Psychiatry Department recently hosted the first Annual Symposium of Community Mental Health Services in Qatar, which brought together mental health experts from the region and key stakeholders in Qatar’s mental health community.

The Symposium was attended by staff from HMC, Primary Health Care Corporation, patients and their families and caregivers, social service workers and other community-based organizations.

Dr. Mohamed Ali Siddig Ahmed, Director of HMC’s Community Mental Health Services said: “As the main provider of specialist mental healthcare in Qatar, HMC is a key stakeholder in the National Mental Health Strategy and is responsible for the delivery of a number of items that will contribute to its overall success. One such goal is to facilitate a shift in the model of care used to treat mental illness, from exclusively hospital-based care towards care that is provided in a variety of settings according to the needs of individual patients. This includes community-based care, which for many patients is more conducive to well-being, recovery and rehabilitation.”

Dr. Ahmed said the Symposium highlighted the importance of partnerships among organizations and individual stakeholders across Qatar to the successful implementation of these community mental health services, which will allow people with mental health difficulties to receive the care and support they need while living in the community instead of in an institutional setting.

“HMC recognizes that mental health care and support is provided by a number of groups and services in the community, alongside, before or after the specialist care that HMC provides. We are committed to bringing together all of these stakeholders to work collaboratively towards our shared goal of improving public understanding, services and support mechanisms for a more comprehensive national system that offers people with mental illnesses everything they need to get well and maintain the best possible quality of life,” said Dr. Ahmed.

Mental illness can affect how a person feels, acts, thinks or perceives. It can occur for a number of reasons and can affect anyone regardless of social circumstances, age or gender. Just like a physical illness, mental illness can be treated. HMC encourages people who are concerned that they may have a mental illness to seek professional medical help, putting an emphasis on early diagnosis and support as key to successful treatment of mental illness, as is the case with many other health conditions.

Presentations and discussions during the event highlighted the community services that HMC and other organizations are offering and their joint vision for the future. The event allowed participants to learn from the experience of other stakeholders and experts in mental health, as well as from the perspectives of patients, their families and caregivers as active partners - not only in their healthcare, but in delivering the overall strategy for mental health services in Qatar. 

“The event will be repeated yearly as a way of keeping this connection strong and all parties updated as we move forward,” Dr. Ahmed added.