JEDDAH, 2 December 2006 — The Psychiatric Hospital in Jeddah is organizing World Mental Health Day and World Suicide Prevention Day today after the two days were merged and re-scheduled into a five-day-long series of awareness-raising events.
The campaign, titled “Renew Your Life” was scheduled worldwide for Sept. 10 and Oct. 10. But because these dates fell under the runup of Ramadan and Eid celebrations, the events were merged and a convenient date was chosen. “We wanted to achieve maximum impact,” said Sameera Al-Ghamdi, a spokeswoman at Jeddah Psychiatric Hospital. “We want to reach out as much as possible. So an alternative date was chosen this time.”
The campaign includes various activities and events, including lectures at shopping malls and portable clinics touring various locations in Jeddah. A hotline has been opened to the public for the duration of the campaign. The numbers are 056-951-6861 and 056-951-6961.
“A caravan will tour different regions of the city — north to south — stopping each day at one of the primary health centers for 24 hours,” said Dr. Nawaf Al-Harthy, director of Jeddah Psychiatric Hospital and head of the campaign’s organizational committee. “It includes a consultancy clinic that provides psychiatric and health services.”
Al-Harthy also said that a social worker and psychiatrist would be staffing the caravan. There will be stops at Al-Hamra, Madain Al-Fahd, Sulaimaniya and Al-Zahra districts. Each day the clinic will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“The solid and constant support of Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal ibn Majed has had direct and immediate impact,” said Al-Harthy. “It is his continuous support of the campaigns that have enabled all of this.”
The campaign theme and lecture subjects were chosen in the absence of solid official statistics regarding psychological disorder and suicide rates in the Kingdom.
“There is a serious need to compile statistics about psychological disorders, including suicide,” said Dr. Adnan Mufti, psychiatrist and medical director at Jeddah Psychiatric Hospital. “The societal attitude toward psychological disorders and those suffering from them needs to change, especially that the majority suffer from them but at different levels such as sleeping disorders, mood swings, anxiety, tension — these are all psychological disorders that are familiar to many.”
He added that over the years the image of the psychiatric patient and his or her doctor has been negatively projected with a lot of erroneous stereotyping. This is where the media can have a significant role — an aspect included in the campaign.
“The campaign has two angles: the media’s role in changing the image of psychological illnesses because the impression projected in the media is distorted,” said Al-Harthy. “The second angle is that some media members publicize incorrect information about psychological illnesses or about those suffering from such illnesses. I’m prepared to give exclusive courses to media personnel,” he added.
As a finale, the campaign will host a parade on Thursday that will begin at 4 p.m. starting from Green Island on Corniche Street and ending at Ayah roundabout on Sari Street. Both the convoy and the parade will begin from the governor’s office.
Schedule of Lectures: Dr. Nawaf Al-Harthy will speak on “Introducing Campaign & Psychiatric Services”, venue: Jeddah Mall from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; Dr. Muna Al-Sawwaf, head of Psychiatric Unit at King Fahd Hospital, on “Women and Depression” (Jeddah Mall 8-9 p.m. Sunday); Dr. Adnan Mufti on “Psychological Disorders and Suicide” (Jeddah Mall 8-9 p.m. Monday); Dr. Tareq Ibrahim Al-Hamoud, legal consultant, on “The Rights of the Psychiatric Patient” (Jeddah Mall 8-9 p.m. Tuesday); Dr. Mohammad Abdullah Al-Shawesh, general supervisor for Al-Amal Hospital Program and vice president of Saudi Psychology Society, on “Renew Your Life” (Jeddah Mall 5-9 p.m. Wednesday); and Dr. Mohammad Al-Hamed, head of Psychiatric Medicine at Bakhsh Hospital, on Media’s Role in Psychological Disorder Awareness” (Aziz Mall 5-9 p.m. Wednesday). Wednesday’s schedule includes children’s recreational activities at both Jeddah Mall and Aziz Mall.
