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Awareness drive on women’s mental health in Sharjah

SHARJAH — A campaign to raise awareness on women’s mental health and educating primary health care staff to properly diagnose women suffering from mental illnesses, will kick off tomorrow at Sharjah Medicine College.

“Nearly 20 per cent of women in Sharjah suffer from depression, and we aim to encourage these women to approach us so that we can refer them to a specialist,” said Dr Suaad Hawamdah, Chairperson of the Women Mental Health Campaign.

The three-day campaign, which will conclude on May 10 at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah, will have workshops to enhance awareness on how to treat mental health patients.

The campaign is divided into three stages, according to Dr Hawamdah. “First we’ll raise awareness of the people as well as private and public clinics; then we will hold a symposium for doctors; and finally we’ll carry out a survey to find out how many women, including both UAE nationals and expatriates, are suffering from depression,” she said.