Participants during a session of the project.
Doha, Qatar: The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has launched the “Art for Better Mental Health” project as part of its efforts to enhance mental health and well-being within the Qatari community.
The project aligns with Qatar’s National Health Strategy, the National Mental Health Strategy, and PHCC’s Corporate Strategic Plan, where mental health is considered a key pillar in developing its services to meet national goals aimed at improving quality of life.
To achieve this, the corporation established mental health clinics in 2021, which operate based on three core pillars: mental support, integrated psychiatry, and memory and Alzheimer’s services.
In this context, the “Art for Better Mental Health” project was planned and executed as a joint initiative between the Corporate Communications Directorate and the Operations Directorate at PHCC. The project relies on art as an effective tool for expressing emotions and alleviating daily stress.
This project aims to promote mental health by employing art as an effective medium for expressing emotions and reducing daily stress. Art is regarded as a therapeutic tool that helps lower stress and anxiety levels while promoting the prevention of chronic diseases. Among the project’s primary objectives is raising awareness about the importance of the arts in enhancing mental health, alongside implementing creative methods such as drawing, coloring, and journaling, which have proven effective in positively impacting mental well-being.
As part of its pilot phase, the project is currently being implemented at the Qatar University Health Center, targeting a group of patients and staff. The initial sessions conducted at the center have demonstrated positive outcomes, including reduced stress and anxiety levels among participants. Based on these results, the project is set to expand in the future to include additional sessions and other centers, depending on participant feedback and the program’s impact.
In its early stages, the project targets the corporation’s clients and staff, as well as the general public in Qatar, in collaboration with several partners within the corporation, including health centers. This initiative serves as an interactive platform that bridges art and mental health, fostering social connections and encouraging creativity in the therapeutic field.
Looking ahead, the corporation aims to broaden the project’s scope in the coming phases to encompass additional activities and centers across various regions of Qatar. The goal is to solidify the role of the arts as a fundamental tool in enhancing mental health and community well-being. This initiative represents a promising step toward a healthier and more creative future, contributing to an improved quality of life for individuals and society as a whole.
