As the coronavirus and its subsequent effects destabilize the familiar, our psychological well-being is found most vulnerable. Even to most healthy individuals, the past couple of months have derailed the train of sanity. Goes without saying, those with pre-existing mental conditions may have it even worse. But perhaps we needed to reach the cliff’s edge.
Exactly two years ago, AWARE’s contributor, Amal Al Ghory, published an online petition for a UAE suicide helpline and garnered more than 26,000 signatures. However, at the time, not much changed. Psychologists and mental health care facilities have been around for years in the UAE, but the issue at hand remains of a social matter. If individuals felt safe discussing mental health, then automatically, the surrounding society will look for more appropriate solutions. Yet again, it is the surrounding society that allows the comfort of individual sharing. With such information, we enter the chicken and egg argument. Do I have to start telling the world about my anxiety or wait for my society to accept it as a genuine issue?
As of recently, the UAE has finally launched an emergency helpline. The National Hotline is run by the UAE National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing (NPHW) in aims to help people cope with anxiety and fear in such unpredictable times. Citizens can converse with specialists through dialing 800-4673(HOPE) or connecting WhatsApp. The service is available in both English and Arabic. Other local initiates include Dubai Police’s 24-hour crisis support line, Dubai Foundation for Women and Children’s counselling sessions for domestic abuse victims, and a suicide prevention hotline exclusive for Indian expats.
Thanks to the coronavirus, no sarcasm, mental health forced itself into the spotlight. Whether or not the coronavirus has opened doors for a broader discussion regarding mental health in the UAE remains ambiguous. But the door has been left ajar for the light to seep through.
More details on UAE emergency helplines can be found here, or you can click the “Get Help” button in our menu bar.