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Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), managed by the Cleveland Clinic, will be discussing common factors which impact a woman’s mental health at different stages of life at its monthly mental health lecture.
Open to members of the public and medical professionals, the theme of this lecture is “Psychological disorders that a woman goes through throughout her life” and is aimed at creating awareness of common psychological disorders that can affect women at any age.
The lecture takes place at 6:30 pm on Wednesday 4 March 2015 in the Behavioural Sciences Pavilion (BSP) auditorium at SKMC.
“Several biological, social or physiological factors can impact on a woman’s mental health and wellbeing which can lead to psychological illnesses such as, eating disorders, depression and/or a feeling of anxiety, at any stage in life such,” said Dr. Medhat El Sabbahy, Psychiatric Consultant at BSP-SKMC and certified by the Arab Board of Psychiatry. “It is important that the medical community and the wider society is made aware of common causes for psychological disorders affecting women so that we can reduce the social stigma and impact that these illnesses can have on family life.”
Women are more likely to suffer from depression than men - a common factor attributed to this is fluctuations in reproductive hormones during the monthly menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause –with 40 percent of women reportedly experiencing Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) due to hormonal changes each month, according to SKMC physicians.
Several other factors that commonly affect women’s mental health at different times in their life include body image and social pressures, familial responsibilities, the inability to conceive, female’s physiological response to stress, and physical and psychological violence against women.
According to the United Nations, up to 70 percent of women in some countries have experienced domestic violence which can lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep difficulties, eating disorders, and emotional distress. This also has a wider impact on family life as, according to the World Health Organisation, children who grow up in families where there is violence may suffer a range of behavioural and emotional disturbances which can perpetuate domestic violence later in life.
“Unfortunately worldwide many women suffer domestic violence in silence which can lead to a number of physiological and psychological consequences. Domestic violence does not have to only be physical, oppression, enslavement, ignorance, and bullying commonly cause women to develop psychophysiological disorders,” said Mrs. Badriah Al Kindi, Psychologist at BSP – SKMC, also serving as Outpatient Clinics and Quality Manager.
“With all mental health problems, the most important step for patients is to seek help from a psychiatrist, although they shouldn’t, many women feel too embarrassed to come forward because of social stigma, their husband doesn’t agree, or for a lack of convenient clinics nearby,” she added.
This health talk is part of the Mental Health Awareness Program that started in March 2010, and includes a series of health talks in Arabic language every month on different topics related to mental health and social problems.
SKMC is part of the SEHA Health System and is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA), which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
The Mental Health Awareness Program is organized by the BSP of SKMC, a comprehensive psychiatric facility committed to providing mental health treatment services in the UAE. The program consists of monthly public health talks about different topics related to mental health in the Arabic language. The talks are given by a panel of mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists as well as social workers from the BSP. Each session includes a question and answer session to answer the attendees’ inquiries.
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