Is mental health on your mind?

The Duchess has had a baby, Game of Thrones is finally drawing to a close, and people are still 'happy crying' over the Avengers finale. But despite all these talking points, this month is really about mental health.
May - as you may well be aware by now - is Mental Health Awareness Month and you only need to get online to see those hashtags fly. Even corporate heavyweights, from Instagram to Burger King (see page 11), are getting on board with powerful campaigns - and rightly so. Because if there's one thing experts are unanimous about, it's the unprecedented spike in the number of mental health illnesses that are ailing both young and old alike today.
"We cannot deny that society is experiencing more stress levels than it ever did in the past, especially with the rise of social media and its constant portrayal of people with overly perfect lives," says Dr Elena Andrioti, a psychologist based in Dubai Healthcare City. In the six years that she's worked in the city, she tells of the "many" she sees in the clinic setting, who go to her because they cannot handle how much their online media consumption affects their perceptions of themselves. "People set really high bars for themselves, which makes it all so difficult, because we're now putting way too much pressure on ourselves."
It adds up, therefore, that depression and anxiety are the most common mental health-related issues that she's sounded out for. "They could be due to various situations: the loneliness of expat life, postpartum adjustments, marital discord - which is very much on the rise of late. Regardless of the trigger, however, depression is becoming very common, as are anxiety and panic attacks," says Elena, who adds that she sees patients suffering from the latter two on an almost weekly basis.
And the roots of stigma run deep. "People have associated mental health with really negative and taboo terms," Elena explains. "You say mental health, and they immediately say: I'm not crazy. Well, no one said they were, but those are the connotations. There is a very real fear that makes it harder to accept that something could be a psychological issue, because it means there is no quick fix - which is what they're really looking for."

ADVOCATES: (from left to right) Elena Andrioti, Rommel Sergio, Mariam El Halawani  
Marked change
While genetic predispositions have to be considered, she notes that we also owe the improving numbers of those seeking help to the growing community of mental health experts. "The greater availability of treatment options and the fact that insurance companies are now beginning to cover these services show that there's a bigger acceptance of how serious these illnesses are," says the Lebanese-Greek expat, who was raised in the Middle East and so, can testify to the marked change in the conversation surrounding mental health over the last few years.
Consider Madalyn Parker, whose tweet went viral two years ago, when she applied for a sick day for her mental health - and her boss not only granted it, but lauded her for setting an important example. Workplace of your distant dreams? Perhaps not too distant, considering the UAE is currently in the process of considering a new mental health strategy, including a mental health legislation initiative. Elena lauds these measures because she believes wellbeing to be closely interlinked with workplace performance and wishes more organisations would give people the "time to deal with their emotions".
Countering the argument that workplaces cannot be economically viable if everyone starts taking days off for mental health, she says, "I'd say it's the complete opposite. If people do not take time off for mental health, you might get the hours, but you won't get the level of productivity you desire. Besides," she adds, "it's not just about giving people days off, but about raising awareness so that they don't take undue advantage."
Pointing to free community clinics recently conducted by the Dubai Healthcare City as well as organisations with employee assistant programmes in the UAE that not only offer discounts for mental health centres but actually offer to foot the bill for a certain number of sessions, she says the day is "not very far away" when more workplace cultures and policies begin to reflect the increased level of awareness across the world.

Community call
While workplaces are waking up to this need of the hour, others have been playing a crucial role in laying the groundwork for society at large. Canadian University of Dubai professor Dr Rommel Pilapil Sergio has been championing the cause of mental health advocacy since he came to Dubai 11 years ago. The Filipino expat used to offer pro bono psychosocial support for those who'd suffered trauma back in his home country, and so it felt only natural to offer the same support to those from his community in the UAE. "It is not often that you find professionals willing to offer services for free, but I think there's a call for service," he says.
Rommel has been working with the Philippine Consulate in Dubai to offer free counselling programmes for distressed household service workers, while also running self-harm awareness programmes at Filipino schools in the country. He compares the dedication required to that of being "on call" at all times, noting how he even gets calls for counselling after midnight or on weekends. But it is strongly tied in to his belief that an excellent educator goes beyond the four walls of the classroom. "We cannot solve the problems of the world, but the least we can do is share our advocacy with the community," says Rommel, who has won two international educator awards in the last three years.
Schools play a key role in promoting mental wellness, he notes. "Educators must be watchful for any aberrations in student behaviour. A lot of educational institutions still do not have guidance counsellors, which is a manifestation of the prevailing attitude to hush such topics over. Even if schools or universities do not have faculty with the required skill set, there should be a way for schools to opt in with referral programmes to address a student's mental health issues."
Regardless of age, however, Rommel points out that the number of women who come in for counselling outstrip the men by a long shot. His observation echoes that of a YouGov survey published earlier this week that showed men (42%) were more likely than women (31%) to be embarrassed about addressing their mental issues. Even lesser (39%) were willing to seek professional treatment.
It only takes more education, he argues, highlighting the art therapy programme he'd once conducted for male municipal inmates in the Philippines. When Rommel first started out, only 10 per cent out of 500 inmates had signed up. But by the time he left at the end of five years, word of mouth had brought in 95 per cent of the inmates.
Help in different forms
Not all treatment options for mental health illnesses involve seeing a psychologist. The same YouGov survey noted that while the majority (72%) would seek help from a trained professional, 25% would prefer alternative therapy. Across the world, art therapy is becoming one such option. For the cynical, Mariam El Halawani, an art psychotherapist at ATIC Psychological and Counselling Center, is quick to point out why this is not to be confused with therapeutic art. "Anyone can engage in art as a way of stress relief," she explains. "However, only a trained clinician can facilitate an art therapy session. In fact, art therapy has been a state regulated profession for over 50 years in the US, requiring a minimum of a Master's degree in order to practise."
She points out that the reason it's effective is because we tend to put up defences that protect us from perceived harm to our psyches. "Art is able to transcend those defences in a non-threatening way, which invites thought and behavioural change. As a field, art therapy honours the connection between emotional complexity and artistic expression - thus, facilitating recovery."
Mariam - who has found art therapy to successfully support clients with anxiety, as well as those with autism or PTSD - was especially able to gauge the therapy's potential through an initiative she developed for construction workers in 2016. "My goal was to provide a safe outlet through which the migrant workers could work through some of the difficult emotions that naturally come with being separated from their families and social networks. Soon enough, the art therapy group, which met twice a week, was a space for sharing and learning from each other's experiences. The artwork created brought the workers a sense of accomplishment, safety and strength as they recognised their own resilience. It helped me understand the potential of art therapy to act as both a tool for prevention and intervention. It seems the sooner it is provided to the migrating worker, the more effective its role is mitigating the effects of the relocation."
In solidarity with her peers, Mariam urges people to take their mental health just as seriously as they would their physical health - especially when the mind is the matter.
Walk for wellness
The global movement against suicide and self-harm called Darkness Into Light will take place tomorrow on May 11 in 19 countries around the world, including at two venues in the UAE. A symbolic representation of the therapeutic counselling journey, the 5km walk will begin at 3.45am and continue into the sunrise. Visit www.darknessintolight.ie for more info.
karen@khaleejtimes.com