EAA, Sidra Medicine to enhance mental health services

Doha, Qatar: The Education Above All Foundation (EAA), in agreement with Sidra Medicine, announced an initiative to provide critical mental health sup...

Doha, Qatar: The Education Above All Foundation (EAA), in agreement with Sidra Medicine, announced an initiative to provide critical mental health support to Assalam Schools in Qatar students. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in EAA’s commitment to ensuring the well-being of vulnerable and low-income students, enabling them to access quality mental health services.

The Assalam Schools, initiated under the Together Project by EAA, established through tri-party agreements with Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education and various donor bodies, serve a critical role in providing education to students who are unable to access public or private schooling due to financial, logistical, or other barriers. Currently, five Assalam Schools cater to a cumulative student population more than 3,600 students aged between seven and 18 years.

Sidra Medicine’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health division will offer comprehensive mental health support to Assalam Schools students through this agreement. These services will include psychiatric and psychological assessments, medication management, and follow-up care for mental health issues, complemented by specialized psychological testing for IQ and standardized rating evaluations.

Director of EAA’s Al Fakhoora Programme Talal Al Hathal, said: “This partnership embodies our commitment to the holistic well-being of our students, recognising that mental health is foundational to educational success; collaborating with Sidra Medicine enables us to address severe mental health challenges that cannot be managed within the schools’ resources, ensuring our students have the support they need to thrive.”

Sidra Medicine’s expertise in pediatric and adolescent psychiatry will be instrumental in providing timely and effective mental health care. Referrals will be managed through a streamlined process, ensuring urgent and routine cases are addressed within specified timeframes.