7Days: Doctors Call for Suicide Insurance
October 2nd, 2011As posted in 7Days on Sunday, 2nd October, 2011
Conference held as part of an ongoing campaign to prevent suicide in the country
A top psychiatrist has called on insurance firms to pay for mental illness checks to help cut down on the number of suicides in the UAE.
Dr Yousef Abouallaban, Medical Director and Consultant Psychiatrist at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology, spoke to 7DAYS yesterday on the sidelines of a conference in Abu Dhabi entitled ‘Suicide – Human Tragedy, Global and Local Impact (Risk, Assessment and Prevention)’.
The conference was part of an ongoing campaign to prevent suicide in the country. About 240 physicians and teachers took part.
Abouallaban said that policies by insurance firms generally do not cover psychological problems, adding: “They should provide insurance to help people overcome problems associated with mental health.”
And he said that a lack of family and social support and enormous stress at work was driving people to commit suicide in the UAE…(read more)
The National: A New Champion in the Battle Against Bullying
September 13th, 2011As posted in The National, on 10 September, 2011
Manal Ismail
ABU DHABI // Salma M was in the fifth grade when she began to gain weight, marking the start of a time that would leave scars to this day.
“Everyone would make fun of me, especially the popular girls,” says Salma, now 26.
Changing schools did not help.
“A new girl, who was skinny and very popular, started to bully me,” she says. “We were in class and the same girl said: ‘Don’t you hear me, why don’t you fix your hair? Don’t you have a brush?’” Salma says.
“She then picked up a chair and threw it right at me.”
It was stories such as Salma’s that moved Wail Huneidi into action. Mr Huneidi, 35, a sales representative at Emirates Steel and a father of two, decided to launch an anti-bullying campaign after becoming aware of the problem through newspaper articles.
“When I started reading more I realised how serious and dangerous this issue is to all children, teens and individuals, and how much it affects society,” he says.
“It was shocking to realise that a lot of people who suffered in our world from bullying as children still hold that pain inside them when they’re adults.”
The main problem is children often don’t recognise when they are being bullied, Mr Huneidi says.
Salma agrees: “I didn’t know what was going on and didn’t understand that this was even a problem. I thought something was wrong with me and this was just what I was destined to be.”
As a parent of a girl aged 4 and a boy aged 2, Mr Huneidi is horrified his children could become targets for this sort of vicious behaviour.
“I wouldn’t want them to grow up not knowing what this subject is,” he says. “I feared for my own kids.”
Mr Huneidi launched the first local anti-bullying website, thebullying.ae, tackling the issue in Arabic and English.
With the help of international groups including Bully Free Zone in the UK and Bully Solutions in the US, Mr Huneidi put together an informative site that educates visitors on how to recognise bullying and how to combat it.
The international organisations, he says, “were impressed that someone in this part of the world was pursuing such an initiative. They said they were willing to support me in all my future projects”.
Mr Huneidi is now working with the Ministry of Education and the Community Police Department to implement programmes and lectures in schools, and distribute leaflets and brochures in shopping centres and other public places. “We want to train both teachers and parents,” he says. “They have responded positively at this point and I’m scheduled to have meetings with both.”
Apart from the programmes in schools, Mr Huneidi plans to send 20,000 anti-bullying text messages to members of the community and launch a hotline for children who feel they are victims of bullying.
Dr Yousef Abou Allaban, a medical director and consultant psychiatrist at the American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, explains the damage bullying can leave…read more
The National: Suicidal Students in the Middle East Need More Help: Psychologist
September 13th, 2011As posted in The National, on 11 September, 2011
Zaineb Al Hassani
ABU DHABI // The Middle East needs resources to help people with suicidal thoughts and tendencies, a psychologist says.
“There is no hotline” for people to call, Dr Muhammed Taher, a consultant child psychologist in Dubai, said yesterday at a conference to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.
“This is a big issue,” Dr Taher said. “In one case I could not let a patient go from my clinic. I told him I did not feel comfortable and I had to call family to take him to a psychiatric hospital. We need to work on the resources.”
His comments come after a survey recently revealed about 400 students in grades 8, 9 and 10 at UAE government and private schools had seriously considered suicide.
The study was conducted by the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Of 2,581 pupils aged between 13 and 15 who were polled last year, about 325 said they tried to commit suicide at least once in 2010.
The figures were shocking, said Dr Yousef Abou Allaban, the medical director of the American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology in Abu Dhabi, which organised the conference.
“I do treat children here who think of suicide and who attempt suicide … but I never expected such a high number,” Dr Abou Allaban said….read more
Last Chance to Register for Package Deal for Upcoming CME Conferences
September 6th, 2011Earn 15.0 CME hours for only AED 450 (Paypal® USD 125)!
Register for 3 programs and get AED 100/- discount.
Registration deadline is 20 September, 2011, or once seats are filled.
The programs included in this package are:
- DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT (only 5 seats left!)
CME Hours: 4.0 CME
Date: Saturday, 24 September, 2011
Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Time: 8:30 AM – 1:15 PM
Target Audience: All healthcare professionals
…more information and individual registration
- ADHD (only 5 seats left!)
CME Hours: 4.0 CME
Date: Wednesday, 28 September, 2011
Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Time: 6:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Target Audience: All healthcare professionals
…more information and individual registration
- AMERICAN CENTER CONGRESS 2011:
SUICIDE: HUMAN TRAGEDY, GLOBAL AND LOCAL IMPACT (RISK, ASSESSMENT AND PREVENTION)
CME Hours: 7.0 (Pending HAAD Approval)
Date: Saturday, 1 October, 2011
Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Target Audience: Physicians and health care providers, educators, lawyers and law enforcement personnel; school counselors, psychologists and social workers
…more information and individual registration
Bad Drivers Need Therapy, Says Doctor
August 10th, 2011As posted in The National, on 16 August, 2009
Aug 16, 2009
ABU DHABI // Anger management classes and stress therapy may be necessary to tackle the high fatality rate on UAE roads, according to one expert in mental illness. Dr Yousef Abou Allaban, the medical director of the American International Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology in the capital, linked the aggressive driving on UAE roads to the country’s breakneck development and stressful workplaces.
“The society here became really stressful, in terms of the demand at work, the family structure and lack of social and psychological support, and in terms of the pressure people have,” he said. People “come here and they have what I would probably call a golden opportunity”, he said. “You have to grab as much as you could, as quickly as possible and get out, because you don’t know what will happen tomorrow, whether your job will be there.”
He suggested companies arrange stress therapy sessions for employees. He also said the Government should institute court-ordered anger management classes for drivers who reach a certain number of black points. Because psychiatric therapy was taboo in the region, people would not go if it was not mandatory, he added. Dr Abou Allaban said the pace of development in the GCC had also notably led to a vacuum of role models for youngsters and the breakdown of traditional family structure.
“There is limited support,” he said. “People here in general are disconnected from the rest of the family.” The rebelliousness of youth compounded the problem. “Teenagers and early twenties people are usually rebellious. We all went through this,” he said. “We don’t want to take commands from anyone.” Younger people were particularly vulnerable to the feelings of power that came with taking the wheel.
“During driving and that rush of adrenaline – the car becomes like … I’m a superman, and I can do whatever I want to do.” Driving fast caused a “sense of elation” that made individuals irrational, he said. In 2007, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority cited a “lack of consideration for road users” as a leading cause of traffic accidents in the emirate. Earlier this year, the Dubai Police Driving Institute also started offering remedial classes to motorists handed black points for bad driving.
It has suggested that people who suffer from road rage listen to music or readings from the Quran. However, social and cultural influences may need to be addressed to fix the problem. Dr Meenaz Kassam, associate professor of sociology at the American University of Sharjah, said assertiveness was part of the UAE’s “patriarchal society”. A masculine culture encouraged “macho” behaviour, especially in young men, she said.
“They are considered effeminate and timid if they do not speed and break traffic rules.” Young people are an important market in the Gulf region for car manufacturers. In 2008, according to GM Africa and Middle East, the average owner of a Hummer H3 in Kuwait was 22 years old. Mazen Yanbeiy, 23, a Syrian-born Australian national who was involved in an accident after another driver made an illegal U-turn, said a lack of driving etiquette was common.
“They never signal when changing lanes, and they drive right between cars. I have never seen such ill-mannered driving habits in either Australia or the United States.” Part of the problem is that road rage, which the World Health Organisation claims affects just over 37 in every 100,000 residents, is contagious, according to Dr Abou Allaban. “Dangerous driving or road rage is two-way. It’s not just the bad driver, it’s also your reaction to it,” he said.
“If you see someone who cuts you off, then you honk the horn and get angry yourself, but if you get angry yourself, who’s going to get hurt? You.” It was important to educate people to break the cycle and teach them how to calm down. “Take a deep breath, distract yourself by listening to some music or listening to the radio, say some words to vent your anger.” Harder to counter, however, are misconceptions that abound in a region as steeped in religious traditions as the Middle East. Dr Abou Allaban acknowledged that a small number of drivers applied the word “inshallah” (God willing) in an improper way to justify any potential consequences of their bad driving as predetermined. newsdesk@thenational.ae
Driving is not a competitive sport. How much is really “won” by cutting ahead? Focus on getting from one place to another, and try to forget about time if you are late. Do not let yourself get drawn into a confrontation. Driving in the left lane more slowly than the prevailing traffic is asking for trouble. Regardless of your speed, move to the right lane if someone wants to pass you. Do not make obscene gestures. Avoid any visible sign that you may be angry. If someone cuts you off, slow down and give them room. Their aggression may escalate if you respond in kind. – Dr Yousef Abou Allaban
Original Article: Click Here
The National: Family Development Centre For Domestic Abuse Victims Put On Hold
August 8th, 2011As posted in The National, on 7 August, 2011
Haneen Dajani
ABU DHABI // A centre for victims of domestic abuse scheduled to open in the capital by the end of the year has been put on hold.
The news came as family specialists across the country stressed the importance of civil institutions to provide protection for victims.
In March last year, the Family Development Foundation (FDF) announced it would open the centre.It was supposed to take care of cases from the minute they were reported until the case was resolved through the legal system or social services.
The centre was also to provide a shelter for one week for urgent cases who could not return to their families.
While shelters for women and children exist in some emirates, the centre was to serve anyone under 18, the elderly, women and people with special needs.
The other shelters include one for female victims of human trafficking in Abu Dhabi, a women’s shelter in Dubai and one in Sharjah for children.
Mariam Al Rumaithi, the general manager of FDF, said the plan was shelved because cases could be dealt with by the Department of Family Guidance with the consultation of the foundation.
“The cases that are received at the department are provided with the required services by coordinating with our strategic stakeholders who are specialised in the issue, for example, the social support centres that are part of Abu Dhabi police.”
Ms Al Rumaithi said the centre’s future remained unclear.
“It needs a study on the real need for it, in addition to the opinion of the strategic stakeholders that the foundation works with side by side,” she said.
The Ministry of Interior, meanwhile, announced last month it would launch a federal child-protection centre. It has not been decided whether it will include a shelter or when it would open, but it would be linked to other such facilities throughout the UAE.
Dr Soad Al Oraimi, the gender and development professor at UAE University’s sociology department, said it was important to have such a centre in Abu Dhabi, because most family abuse cases here are not reported for social reasons.
“People have many social factors that prevent them from the reporting of any violence because they don’t want a police record,” she said, “but when there is such a foundation away from police and official records [people will report more].
“It is highly needed. The more the state is growing, the more it is becoming complicated.”
Dr Yousef Abou Allaban, a consultant psychiatrist and American Board Diplomate in Psychiatry and Neurology, said one way or the other police should be involved in abuse cases. But, he added, specialists were needed to deal with the victims.
“All around the world, a clinical psychologist is present. So the question is, do we have in the UAE enough people to handle this issue?”
He said victims were often afraid to go to the police, especially in cases of rape and sexual abuse.
The National: Key to Marriage is Faith and Family, Survey Finds
July 24th, 2011As posted in The National, on 23 July, 2011
Manal Ismail
ABU DHABI // A new survey reveals a widespread belief in the UAE that a shared faith and family approval are central to a successful marriage.
Of 754 residents surveyed for Al Aan TV’s Nabd al Arab (“Arabs’ Pulse”) by YouGov Siraj, the overwhelming majority (82 per cent) said a couple should share the same religion, with almost as many (71 per cent) also saying it was important for a couple to be of the same sect.
Experts said the concerns were hardly surprising given the prominent role of religion in daily life. “It may not be the case in other communities because the culture doesn’t emphasise religion as a main component of their lives,” said Yousef Abou Allaban, a consultant psychiatrist with the American Centre of Psychology and Neurology in Abu Dhabi. “But in our culture it affects our daily decisions. Some may be more tolerant than others; it really depends on the person’s background. It is important that the couple addresses it early on so they know what to expect and how to handle situations.” ….read more
Khaleej Times: Anatomy of male indiscretion
June 2nd, 2011On the road I felt like a king. Crowned with a futuristic helmet and wearing a pair of dazzling made-in-China racing gloves, I threw a lot of weight and CO2 around, giving the Chinese armada of bikers a run for their money. My arrogance vroomed like an F1 car.
Then came this woman from nowhere, like a meteor, in a funky sports machine with roaring music and glasses rolled down. With the trademark bonded hair of a Chinese girl blowing back in a tornado of attitude, she tried to zoom past. And like in a risqué Indian deodorant ad, I was caught in a whirlpool and sucked towards the Beemer and eventually to her blind spot—all in a few seconds.
I lifted my helmet visor for a better glance and the next thing I could remember after the blonde scraped my chopper was that I lay as a bundle of embarrassment and shame at the six-road Braddell junction, with the full load of the bike on me.
You had a fall.
So what?
You had a fall because of a woman.
So what?
You are in the company of Strauss-Kahn.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, is the latest entrant to a long list of powerful men who recently wrecked their successful careers and lives with their highly inappropriate behaviour.
DSK, as is Strauss-Kahn widely known in his home country France, has resigned after being arrested in New York and arraigned on charges of attempted rape, sexual abuse, a criminal sexual act, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching in an attack on a female hotel cleaner.
Yesterday he was one of the most powerful men, tasked with rescuing all troubled economies in the world, and used to a princely treatment that ranged from a $420,930-a-year tax-free salary to a $3,000-a-night suite. Today the 62-year-old former French finance minister and the biggest political threat to President Nicolas Sarkozy is an under-trial who has nowhere to hide from the long arm of the law. He is innocent until proven guilty.
Newsmakers who have been either caught out or have admitted to infidelity in the past include Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Newt Gingrich, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tiger Woods, David Beckham, Silvio Berlusconi and so on. Is falling from grace akin to my accident wherein the driver had no intention to crash and it all happened in the blink of an eye? It was not premeditated but an act on impulse wherein either one party or both parties were involved.
John M. McKee, US-based author as well as founder and CEO of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, an international consulting and coaching practice, tells me there is a huge difference. They all had been reckless drivers. “Driving is an interesting example. To an extent, it does have merit because our outcomes are very much driven by our earlier actions. How we behave takes us where we’re going.” Discussing what would drive a smart guy to risk his entire life with one action that he obviously knows is wrong, John believes that their actions are driven by an internal need for more. “These individuals feel gaps between what they have and what they feel they should have. When one is not satisfied with what they have, there’s a constant craving for more, leading to actions which may put a great life at risk.”
Dr Yousef Abouallaban, Medical Director and Consultant Psychiatrist at American Center for Psychiatry & Neurology in Abu Dhabi, tells me that never-ending appetite for risk-taking is that finally rings the death knell for such leaders. “One unique character of many top politicians is their readiness to engage in an extreme amount of risk-taking. Risk taking is what got them to highly successful or leading public figures.
“Clinton also fits the profile where he faced many ups and downs in his political path to the presidency, only to risk all when he had an affair with Monica Lewinsky.”
Samineh I. Shaheem, assistant professor of psychology in the UAE, tells me: “These people are rich and powerful, often becoming quite addicted to the adrenaline rush that comes with taking risks, being creative and innovative, pushing the envelope and crossing boundaries which others do not dare go near.
“This adrenaline rush, if powerful enough, may result in an inability to appropriately judge one’s behaviour as being suitable or not, since so much of what these people do is unique. Therefore, the lines of acceptable behaviour, even in regards to infidelity, get blurred.”
Linda Sakr, a counselling psychologist working in the UAE, agrees with the adrenaline theory, but says there are other factors contributing to the tragedy. “They all feel entitled to the adoration and admiration of the masses, feel unjustifiably nagged and criticised at home and then get seduced by power into developing relationships with other women.”
“There’s a huge difference between being successful and being satisfied. We hear stories all the time about people with wildly successful careers and personal lives that are worthy of a soap opera. They’ve confused being successful with being satisfied. Success is easily visible to the outside world, while satisfaction is harder for others to see. But it’s clear that if an individual is not feeling satisfied with his life, he could do some crazy things in a misguided attempt to feel better personally,” says John.
After DSK was allegedly caught out, there was a surge in allegations, including from his own party, about his weakness for women and admissions that they all opted to cover up because they didn’t want to come in his way to presidency.
That’s exactly how Dr Yousef diagnoses about the situation. “Usually the staff around these high-profile people do not dare to criticise any wrong doing. They don’t want to see anything bad happen to the public figures they work with, in terms of career, so there will always be people who are willing to cover it up.
“While a sense of strength and fearlessness and a near-disregard of consequences can make for great, powerful leaders, the problems come when they do not acknowledge they are human.”
To be concluded
Suresh Pattali is Khaleej Times Night Editor. He can be reached at suresh@khaleejtimes.com
Success is easily visible to the outside world, while satisfaction is harder for others to see. If an individual is not satisfied with his life, he could do some crazy things in a misguided attempt to feel better personally -John M. McKee
This adrenaline rush, if powerful enough, may result in an inability to appropriately judge one’s behaviour as being suitable or not, since so much of what these people do is unique -Samineh I. Shaheem
They all feel entitled to the adoration and admiration of the masses, feel unjustifiably nagged and criticised at home and then get seduced by power into developing relationships with other women -Linda Sakr
One unique character of many top politicians is their readiness to engage in an extreme amount of risk-taking. Risk taking is what got them to highly successful or leading public figures -Dr Yousef Abouallaban
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