The protracted disruption to life due to COVID-19 could bring feelings of anger, depression, anxiety and even grief. Therefore public is encouraged to seek professional mental services by calling the helpline 16000, if needed. “COVID-19 is having a significant impact on our lives and for many people their daily routines have been turned upside down. The unpredicted situation we are facing can leave people feeling frightened, confused and worried and can lead to increased feelings of stress and anxiety,” said Dr Majid Al Abdulla, Chairman of Mental Health Services at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). “It is important for people to understand that it is normal to feel this way and you are not alone,” he said in posts by HMC on social media platforms. “If you feel stressed or anxious call our helpline on 16000 for a confidential talk with a mental health professional,” said Dr Al Abdulla.
The Mental Health Service of HMC in April launched the new helpline to provide support for people experiencing stress or psychological distress, as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Working with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) this is a national initiative to support all sections of the community. “Staying at home, self-isolating or spending time in quarantine will hugely affect the way we feel.
Many people may be feeling more stressed or anxious than normal and our helpline is designed to provide the help and support many people are asking for,” Dr Al Abdualla, during the launch of the helpline.
The helpline is staffed by experienced mental health professionals who can provide assessment and support to callers through four main categories: children and young people (and parents), adults, older people, and frontline healthcare workers. To access the helpline, which is available from 7am to 10pm every day, members of the public can call the toll free number, 16000.
The helpline is confidential and users can remain anonymous, avoiding the stigma often associated with mental health. The staff taking calls at the helpline speak a range of languages and every effort will be made to enable callers to communicate in their language of choice. Staff will make an initial assessment of need, may offer brief support or refer for more specialist help when this is required. An appointment can be made on the line and a tele-consultation can be arranged with a suitable clinician. Within the first three weeks more than 4,000 people had sought help by calling the mental health helpline.
