UAE student project hopes to put spotlight on psychological health

Entitled Body, Mind and Soul; A Healthier You, the project aims “to raise awareness and hack the traditional concept that the majority of people hold about health".

AL AIN // A group of UAE University students hope to change perceptions about leading a healthy life through a project that focuses on a holistic approach to well-being.

The project, titled Body, Mind and Soul: A Healthier You, aimed to raise awareness and put into question most people’s concept of health, said Latifah Rahmdel, one of the students.

“We want people to focus on other types of health that are just as important, such as psychological and emotional health,” said the communications student.

“We tend to our bodily injuries because we can see them and are taught how to do so by caregivers. But if you think about emotional injuries, you’ll find such processes of teaching to be often absent.

“We want to advocate terms that are usually absent from our daily dialogue, such as harmony, self-love, balance, emotional intelligence and mind health.”

Ms Rahmdel hoped to reduce the stigma attached to treatments such as psychological counselling and was trying to promote the project to the Government and the healthcare authorities.

This week saw the start of a series of events for UAEU students, including a seminar on emotional intelligence with Yusuf Al Hashimi, a human development coach, as well as a farmers’ market to promote local organic produce.

Finding healthy, organic food and health-and-fitness activities could be challenging in Al Ain, said Ms Rahmdel.

“We have about 11 restaurants and cafes attending to the students’ needs in the food court and only a couple of them have healthier options,” she said.

“I find it a little difficult to attend to my own needs without getting bored of the repeated meals and limited options on campus.”

Dr Nada Jaber agreed that there was much more to be done to educate students on leading healthy lives, especially when it came to exercising.

“Physical activity is more of a challenge than teaching the girls to eat well,” said the human nutrition lecturer at UAEU.

In January, she organised a health awareness day for the university’s 8,000 female students.

“They still don’t do anything other than walk to classes and the mall. They are more willing to apply changes to food choices than physical activity,” said Dr Jaber.

Indeed, more education on healthy living was necessary, said Khadija Almazrouei, a final-year communications student.

“We need to know first what to eat and how it will affect us,” she said.

“More knowledge on this could really change the bad nutritional habits. We really hope the project will impact on campus life.”

Dr Jaber agreed that awareness about mental well-being also had to be raised on campus. “There should be an emphasis on students having to take at least a mandatory course in psychology because these girls go through a lot,” she said.

“Social and family pressure can really take its toll on them. The mental health side of things not only affects the girls’ moods but also their food choices. It has a profound effect.”