The spread of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, often strikes fear and anxiety that may significantly impact mental health among adults and children alike. In such crises, mental health may lead to changes in people's lifestyles and feelings as they are concerned over their health and the health of their loved ones and may experience changes in their appetite and sleep patterns. People may have difficulty sleeping and focusing, which would exacerbate chronic health issues and increase the use of harmful and addictive substances. In light of social distancing policies implemented by governments for containing the virus, mental health is surely negatively affected.
In order to promote the community's mental health, the UAE government, represented by the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing, launched a campaign to offer mental support, spread positivity, strengthen flexibility skills, and consolidate social relations within the same family and society as a whole. This campaign, which was launched at the end of March 2020, is virtually run by modern technologies and offers a series of awareness programs and virtual support groups, which were supervised by experts in psychiatry. The campaign also focuses on improving people's quality of life within learning and working environments and encourages the values of generosity, cooperation, solidarity, and community service.
The National Campaign for Mental Support consists of three main components that offer a series of short awareness programs, daily live sessions to provide mental advice and support through Instagram, and closed virtual sessions for social mental support to different groups using Microsoft Teams. The campaign targets children, parents, students returning to the UAE, the elderly and their caregivers, working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, people of determination and their families, people with chronic diseases, COVID-19 patients and their families, healthcare staff (especially the front-line workers), and all people working remotely.
The campaign focuses on enabling Emirati society to adapt to the new situation and these difficult times without feeling overwhelmed with exaggerated anxiety, panic, or phobia. It also seeks to teach individuals the necessary skills to be optimistic, positive, and sympathetic.
To ensure a comprehensive methodology is followed, the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing has cooperated with mental health experts from the public and private sectors to present the sessions. These experts work in distinct entities, such as the Ministry of Education, the Community Development Authority, Al Jalila Hospital, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Police, UAE universities, and others.
