The American Center would like to thank all guests for attending  the Male Sexual Dysfunction: Diagnosis and Management Conference held on the 27th of May  at the  Beach Rotana Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

With thanks to all the participants, the event was a great success as was reflected by the positive feedback and  favorable reviews received.  As such, we look forward to conducting similar CME events in the near future.

For comments or suggestions on new CME topics,  please email cme@americancenteruae.com.

Depression is more than feeling a bit down; it can be a major and debilitating illness. Its clinical symptoms include low mood, pessimistic thinking, reduced energy and poor concentration, but if you ask a sufferer to describe it they will paint a more vivid picture than a list of symptoms can ever portray. Continue reading →

As posted in The National Editorial – March 31st

In June 2009, a leading psychiatrist called on the UAE to compile data on suicides in the country. “Internationally the rates of suicides are going up and it is worrying that the UAE doesn’t have any hard numbers,” said Dr Yousef Abou Allaban, a psychiatrist from the American Centre for Psychology and Neurology. “We don’t know how to target the problem because we don’t know how large the problem is.”

Lack of data is too often a stumbling block to solutions. Two years later, we now have statistics on the number of teenagers who have at least contemplated suicide, and it makes for grim reading.

As reported in The National yesterday, a new survey has found that one in every six teenagers has considered ending their lives at some point. “Having that many kids contemplate suicide is definitely shocking,” said Rebecca Williams, a school counsellor at Greenfield Community School in Dubai.

That was just one of the findings of the Global School-based Student Health Survey, which was prepared by the World Health Organisation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey, administered by the Ministry of Health, studied the responses and behaviour of teenagers aged 13 to 15.

Many young people say their parents remain oblivious to their problems or what they do in their free time. Truancy, smoking and indulging in illicit substances are issues that teenagers are unlikely to broach with any authority figure. Bullying is another subject that many teenagers are not forthcoming about.

The disconnect between young people and their parents may be widening, but it is a gap that can be bridged. Sadly, mental health issues continue to be taboo in Arab societies, even ignored in many cases by parents.

Trained counsellors in schools are part of the solution, although unfortunately school budgets are being cut when new services should be added. But the real solution is for society to be more aware of the problem. This student health survey does not only show problems that we should be aware of – it provides the starting point for reaching out to teenagers.

Under social, personal or academic pressures, many teenagers end up feeling abandoned and depressed with no one to turn to. A change in attitude by parents, teachers and society at large is needed to recognise that a boost can help them to outgrow these problems. Just ask anyone who has ever been a teenager.

To read the article on the National click here

M.S. CCC-SLP – Speech Therapist Continue reading →

The American Center would like to thank all guests for attending  the Epilepsy in Adults and Children Seminar held on the 5th of May  at the  Hilton Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

With thanks to all the participants, the event was a great success as was reflected by the positive feedback and  favorable reviews received.  As such, we look forward to conducting similar CME events in the near future.

For comments or to suggest new CME topics  please email cme@americancenteruae.com.

The American Center is pleased to introduce Clinical Psychologist Ms. Ingrid Krynauw

Ms. Ingrid Krynauw obtained her honors and Master’s degree in psychology at the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa. She is married with two children and moved to the UAE in mid 2009.

Before moving to Abu Dhabi, She had her own private practices in Mpumalanga and Johannesburg, South Africa, which focused on the treatment of serious forms of psychological distress and psychopathology.

…click here to continue reading

Final preparations are now underway to launch the new American Center website in Arabic.

The project for a new American Center Arabic website began with the idea that clear information about medical services should be made easily accessible to all members of a community. For this reason, the American Center has taken it as  a priority to provide up to date information about its medical services in both Arabic and English.

The new website will be outfitted with all the essential features found in the English version including a comprehensive Patient Education Center  and Staff Biographies page.

The new website is expected to launch within two weeks while the Arabic Patient Education Center will be updated on an ongoing basis as new information becomes available. As such, we look forward to the launch as part of our effort to continually improve our standard of patient care.

The American Center would like to thank all physicians for attending  the Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Seminar held on the 23rd of April  at the  Hilton Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

With thanks to all the participants, the event was a great success as was reflected by the positive feedback and  favorable reviews received. As such, we look forward to conducting similar quality CME events in the near future.

For comments or to suggest new CME topics  please email cme@americancenteruae.com.