SEHA helps patients with mental illness develop their emotional, social and vocational skills

ABU DHABI, 1st February, 2022 (WAM) -- Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) successfully managed to help a woman get her life back on track after being diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia.
The 43-year-old woman started experiencing severe disturbances to her emotional state. She was encouraged to seek specialist mental health support from SKMC.
"The patient started receiving support from the Behavioural Sciences Pavilion (BSP) at SKMC in 2010 and was diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia – a severe mental health disorder that causes people to have abnormal experiences of reality," said Dr. Ala Alnaqbi, Specialist Psychiatrist at BSP.
Schizophrenia is a complex and chronic mental illness that affects how an individual thinks, behaves, and feels. According to the World Health Organisation, schizophrenia affects 20 million people worldwide but is not as common as many other mental disorders. Some common symptoms experienced by individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia are hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking, and disturbances to an individual’s emotional state.
With the support of SKMC’s rehabilitation team and her family, the patient went back to school to complete her education. She successfully attained her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in September 2020 and celebrated her accomplishment with the medical team that was by her side in every step of her journey.
"Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit aims to help those with complex and enduring mental illness by enabling the development of emotional, social and vocational skills, improving the management of illness, and enhancing personal autonomy and independence. We employ multidimensional interventions in a patient-centered and recovery-focused environment," said Dr. Alnaqbi.
While people with schizophrenia require lifelong treatment, early treatment may help get symptoms under control before serious complications develop and will potentially improve the patient’s long-term outlook. According to Dr. Alnaqbi, one of the biggest issues when it comes to mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, is often the lack of awareness.
"Those individuals affected find it difficult to identify the signs and get help and so it often falls to family and friends to step in. Offering support and help can go a long way. At SEHA, we have a highly experienced team of psychiatric physicians, nurses and social workers who focus on providing an accurate diagnosis and developing the best treatment plan," explained Dr. Alnaqbi.
"Over the past year, we have seen a positive step change when it comes to mental health awareness in the UAE. Positive mental health is integral to cultivating a thriving community which is why, at SEHA, we believe it is critical to integrate specialist mental health services across our network. Through offering the latest technologies as well as multi-disciplinary expertise, we strive to ensure our patients receive all the care, compassion and support they need," stated Dr. Aisha Al Dhufairi, Acting Chair of the SKMC’s Behavioural Sciences Pavilion.