Top experts set to address Qatar Mental Health Conference

WITH supporting the mental health and well-being of Qatar’s population being high on the agenda for the Ministry of Public Health and Hamad Medical Corporation, the 9th Qatar International Mental Health Conference, to be held from May 25 to 27, will feature the largest programme to date relevant for any professionals interested in mental health and well-being.

The conference is supported by the Primary Health Care Corporation in Qatar and the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is committed to making mental health and well-being for all a global priority. The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean has worked closely with Qatar on mental health-related projects over the past decade. This collaborative commitment will see six WHO mental health experts speaking at the conference, including Dr Khalid Saeed, Regional Advisor, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Programme at the WHO, who will talk about “Transforming Mental Health for All”.

Sheikh Dr Mohammed Al-Thani, director of public health at the Ministry of Public Health, said that education is key to improving the health of our nation: “To ensure that we are able to deliver the most effective mental health services possible, particularly in a culturally diverse and complex society such as ours here in Qatar, we need to foster a culture of learning and knowledge sharing. This conference is an important forum to promote education among professionals whose knowledge will ultimately benefit those in the community who seek help.”

The international keynote presentations include Dr Trudi Seneviratne, consultant perinatal psychiatrist and registrar of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK, who will be speaking on Women’s Mental Health; and Prof Paul Gately, CEO of MoreLife and Professor of Exercise and Obesity at Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University, UK, who will present on the Impact of obesity on wellbeing across the life.

The conference will also feature diverse speakers, including Dr. Al Sayyida Basma Al Said from Oman, a mental health specialist who will explain the cultural context of mental health and empowerment. Michael Richardson, the Generation Amazing Master Coach at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, will highlight the Generation Amazing example of “Sports for mental health”.

Iain Tulley, National Health Strategy Lead for Mental Health in Qatar and CEO of the Mental Health Service at HMC said that Qatar has demonstrated a commitment to promoting mental health and wellbeing: “This conference is an ideal platform to showcase both international expertise as well as local achievements and best practices. I am delighted that at this event we can showcase the results of the collaboration with partners such as Qatar Airways who are doing exceptional work in promoting staff wellbeing; or the work that is done with schools that is designed to help children, teachers and parents deal with many common challenges faced by young people today. In addition, we will share lessons learned from National Mental Health Helpline delivering professional support to frontline healthcare workers during the pandemic.”

The extensive list of speakers includes experts from Qatar Foundation, Qatar University, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Sidra Medicine, Naufar, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies Qatar as well as Young Mothers Qatar and many more.

The conference, which will take place at the Sheraton Hotel from 25 to 27 May 2023, offers up to 23 continuing professional development (CPD) hours for in-person attendance, and up to 13.75 CPD hours for virtual attendance. More information on the programme and speakers is available online: https://www.hamad.qa/9QIMHC