Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation and Qatar University have jointly launched a unique study to find the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Qatar’s population.
The study, Q-Lamp - Longitudinal Assessment of Mental Health in Pandemics is the first of its kind in Qatar and Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. It will collect accurate data over time to understand the impact of COVID-19 on mental wellbeing of the people and also aid the government in planning better mental wellbeing support services.
The study has been funded by Qatar University’s Emergency Response Research Grant. A random sample of the population will receive a message inviting them to take part in the study, but this study is also open to any member of the public. The researchers will follow the same group of individuals over an extended period. The online survey (www.q-lamp.com) in English and Arabic and is open to citizens and residents 18 years of age or older.
“Qatar is facing a lot of public health urgent changes in public health domain in the wake of COVID-19. While medical teams in Qatar have been intensively working on preventing the spread of coronavirus by providing early testing and treatment services for potentially infected individuals, mental health services have also been prioritised,” said Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health.
“The emergence of COVID-19 in Qatar prompted a series of precautionary measures that have impacted our daily lives and caused major disruptions to our society and economy. Under such exceptional circumstances, people may feel overwhelmed, isolated, lonely, anxious or depressed.
“Therefore it is very important to give mental health enough attention, support the initiative to and participate in scientific research,” said Dr. Al Thani in a videos message on the dedicated website of the Q-Lamp study.
The survey has a set of questions related to the pandemic, mental health before and after the pandemic, and some questions about physical and behavioral health as well.
The study will help policymakers and the health services in Qatar learn more about how people cope with crises like COVID-19 and help in planning mental health services and public education, said Dr. Majid Al Abdulla, Chair of Psychiatry at Hamad Medical Corporation.
Dr. Salma Khaled, Assistant Professor, Qatar University said that mental health is a social issue that affects everyone but is often overlooked. “Mental health is a social issue that affect everyone, yes it is often ignored or some people may often be ashamed to disclose their psychological problems,” said Dr. Khaled.
