Sharjah’s Department of Statistics and Community Development brainstorms mental health best practices at work
DSCD holds brainstorming session in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Community Prevention, the Sharjah Social Services Department, the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, and the Sharjah Center for Learning Disabilities
10 Jul 2022
The Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD) in Sharjah organised a brainstorming session
‘The Importance of Mental Health in Society’, to mark World Mental Health Day observed annually on October 10 to raise awareness of mental health issues worldwide and mobilise efforts in support of mental health.
The event witnessed the participation of representatives from Ministry of Health and Community Prevention, the Sharjah Social Services Department, the Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, and the Sharjah Center for Learning Disabilities.
The brainstorming sessions aligns with DSCD’s commitment to Sharjah’s sustainable development through the continuous monitoring of the changing and emerging needs of its comuunity members across the sectors of health, economy, security, culture and society.
Khamis Basheer, Community Development Department Manager said: “DSCD organised this important session to generate new ideas on ways to drive community development in Sharjah in collaboration with partnering entities. The purpose of the session was to engage participants in a meaningful discussion on how we can together create the required conditions to continue safeguarding and promoting the mental health of our employees, particularly in the post-pandemic era. Doing this would entail the provision of innovative new mental health programmes, services and expert counsel by competent authorities; identifying and accordingly planning the growth patterns of population geography; and developing long-term development plans to enhance the community’s sense of security.”
“The session aligns with the directives of HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to serve all society members. We have been working on different projects such as the ‘Tahdeeth’ a data collection project that aims to update demographic information about the emirate’s citizens; a study titled ‘Attitudes of Sharjah Nationals towards Spending on Marriage’ and the ‘Sharjah an Age-friendly City’, among others. We hope this session will inspire us to launch new projects and initiatives to build a better future for our emirate”, he added.
The brainstorming session dealt with two main topics. The first discussion featuring Dr. Jassim Salem Al Marzouqi, a consultant psychiatrist representing the Ministry of Health and Community Protection, and Wissam Al Kilani, a psychologist representing the Sharjah Center for Learning Disabilities, focused on mental health challenges employees face at work. The session reviewed the psychological impact on individuals that results from factors like their job responsibilities, their interpersonal dealings with colleagues and superiors, and highlighted the key role of the employer in instituting mental health programmes and support services for the workforce.
The second session was devoted to discussing the impact of the pandemic on mental health with the participation of Fatima Ali Al Marzouqi, Director of the Social Care Home, representing the Department of Social Services, and Dr. Walaa Ahmed Ali, a psychologist representing Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services. Speakers highlighted the extent of the pandemic’s impact on the workforce across organisational levels and functions, categorising the recipients of mental health services and ways to improve its quality across all levels.
