KUWAIT CITY, Oct 10: According to the Kuwait Center for Mental Health which is affiliated with the Ministry of Health, depression and anxiety are among the most common mental illnesses. Depression affects about 20 percent of the people annually in Kuwait. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are considered rare diseases in Kuwait.

The rate of patients suffering from bipolar disorder does not exceed one percent, and those suffering from schizophrenia do not exceed one percent of the population. This was highlighted during an event held by the center yesterday on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, under the slogan “Mental health is a fundamental right.” The Director of the center Dr. Kholoud Al-Ali said the expansion of mental health services in the Ministry of Health’s facilities came as a result of interest in individual mental health. In a press statement issued on the sidelines of the event, Dr. Al-Ali said the center provides diagnostic and therapeutic services, and the psychological service unit provides psychological consultations in the ministry’s general and specialized hospitals, in addition to primary health care centers.

She expressed pride in the implementation of mental health law No. 14/2019, which guarantees the rights of the patients and the doctors. Dr. Al-Ali affirmed that the center provides distinguished diagnostic, therapeutic, and recreational services, in addition to daycare services, as well as psychological support to develop patients’ practical skills. She indicated that the interest in mental health prompted the ministry to open mental health clinics in primary care centers, as it considers mental health as part of public health, in addition to the services provided by the psychological service unit, such as consultations.

Meanwhile, the Head of the emergency unit at the Kuwait Mental Health Center and Head of the Psychiatry Department at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital Dr. Najah Al-Enezi said the “stigma” of patients suffering from psychological problems has decreased due to increased awareness about mental health issues.

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff