The Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University (QU) organized a virtual lecture on Qatar’s National Mental Health Study on Wednesday November 3rd, 2021.
Dr. Salma Mawfek Khaled, a Research Associate Professor from SESRI-QU, presented this lecture to a large audience of researchers and attendees interested in health in general and mental health in particular.
In addition, she assured the public that this research study would play an important role in supporting the initiation of the necessary foundation for sustaining research productivity in the field of population mental health in Qatar; she also opened the floor for discussion, while answering questions from the public.
Professor Kaltham Al-Ghanim, the director of SESRI-QU, added that the institute in collaboration with the MOPH and HMC is conducting the study, which is the first of its kind in the country that collect comprehensive data on the prevalence and associated factors of mental disorders to enhance our understanding of the epidemiology of mental illness in Qatar’s society today. SESRI team has successfully completed 2500 completed out of 5000 target interviews so far.
The study is part of an international collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Harvard University, University of Michigan, an initiative that has collected data in more than 30 countries worldwide (Lebanon, Iraq, USA, France, Germany, Japan etc.) and it has been instrumental in supporting countries to establish the necessary infrastructure to collect representative epidemiological data of population mental health. Using well-tested methodology approved by the WHO, the interviews are conducted in Arabic, the target population include Qataris, Arab expatriates 18 years old, and above who are randomly selected to participate in the telephone survey.
Those who are selected for participation will be sent an SMS link from Qatar University (QUsms) and will receive a phone call by one of our study interviewers. Participation in the study is voluntary and anonymous. Professor Kaltham urges those who have been randomly selected from the public to participate in the study to complete the phone interview conducted by highly trained and professional research interviewers from the Computer Assisted Telephone lab at SESRI. Your participation in the study is essential, as it will help us increase awareness and achieve a better mental health level for all of us. For more information about the study, please visit our website .
Source: Qatar University