Dubai's Dh105 million mental health funding boost backed by experts

Calls for schools and new specialist centres offering affordable care to be prioritised

Young people are most exposed to the demands and pressures of modern life, due to the rampant use of social media, experts say. Bloomberg

Investing in dedicated mental health programmes for school-aged children and expanding the network of insurance-supported services should be a priority for the new Dh105 million mental health framework announced in Dubai, experts have told The National.

Young people are most exposed to the demands and pressures of modern life due to the rampant use of social media, professionals said, leaving that demographic most likely to benefit from new funds.

A programme to help residents and citizens cope with the challenges of day-to-day life in a major city was announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence on Monday, to widespread support from the mental healthcare community.

The announcement was met with relief by many, who see it as a potential stepping stone to more investment that helps all corners of society.

Omer Khan, founder and chief executive of Dubai-based online mental health support service Helply, said the framework was a continuation of a government plan to improve access to services.

“Mental health care can be very expensive and if we look at the top clinics, that is still the case,” he said.

“And then there is a waiting time of sometimes three to four months.

“As a company, we are trying to reduce that waiting time, reduce the cost and make it more accessible to people.

“The next step is to add more mental health facilities and wider insurance coverage.”

Increasing demand for mental health care is a global trend, with 10 million more US adults taking prescription medications in 2020 than 15 years earlier.

A recent survey of 2,000 US pupils by academic aid platform EduBirdie looked at the link between social media use and mental health in young people.

Of those asked, 59 per cent aged 12-27 said they felt addicted to social media, with 58 per cent admitting it had affected their productivity and social skills.

A further 46 per cent said social media use had contributed to stress or anxiety, with 36 per cent linking it to depression and 41 per cent to low self-esteem.

Fewer than one in five said they had asked a professional for help to tackle mental health issues associated with social media.

School focus

Marie Byrne, a former teacher who is now a professional mental health counsellor in Dubai, said supporting children and young people should be the fund’s priority.

“This is an opportunity for students to develop emotionally, through programmes in schools, to develop more emotional awareness of the impact of social media on them,” she said.

“A lot of the time, I get young people who are 18 to 25 who have really poor self worth connected to body image brought about through this idea of comparison and competition.

“Young people are often unable to be who they are, and are uncomfortable about their own body or trying to achieve an impossible image they’ve seen on social media.

“Learning coping mechanisms and skills to handle this in schools would have an amazing impact on young people as they head into adulthood.

“That's part of the budget being put forward, so it is very positive.”

Research in 2020 published by the University of Sharjah showed that 57 per cent of people in the UAE had experienced at least one mental health disorder, with anxiety and depression the most common.

The new Mental Wealth Framework aims to cement a foundation of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, a programme aimed at making the emirate a prime global destination in which to live and work.

Key facets of the project include early detection programmes, improved mental health education in schools and better access to care.

According to analysts at German company Kenkou in 2022, the cost of care in the UAE is considered high on the global scale.

High costs

The research group’s Mental Health Price Index showed a one-hour therapy session costs, on average, $163 in the UAE, the second most expensive nation behind Switzerland where the same care costs about $206.

Of the 50 nations evaluated, the UAE also had the fifth lowest number of trained psychologists practising regularly – just 0.77 for every 100,000 people – with Japan and the Czech Republic offering the best access to specialist care.

Dr Shaju George, a specialist psychiatrist at the International Modern Hospital in Dubai, said a shortage of professionals should be addressed to limit the impact on economic growth.

“Health issues in general, and more specifically mental health issues, can affect the growth and progress of any country,” he said.

“We know roughly 25 per cent to 50 per cent of the total global population are either affected or impacted by mental health problems. This shows the importance of such initiatives.

“Areas to be focused on are raising awareness on mental illness and inclusiveness, with a special focus on removing fears of getting sidelined, discriminated or removed from jobs.

“An early intervention and diagnosis of mental health issues can help with this.

“School mental health programmes can play an important role, considering children as tomorrow's contributors to a country's development.”