Psychiatric workers with the cooperation of officials of the Ministry of Health celebrated World Mental Health Day with an awareness campaign and painting exhibition at King Fahd Hospital training and studies center here Monday. The guests of honor were Dr. Suahil Abdul Hameed Khan consultant psychiatrist and director of social and psychological services and Dr. Adnan Mufti consultant psychiatrist and director general of Jeddah mental hospital. Dr. Mufti in his opening remarks said that the event has been celebrated worldwide for the past 15 years and in Saudi Arabia since 2002. The theme of this year's event is making mental health treatment available to more people in primary health care centers. “The main aim of today's program is to provide mental services to as many people as possible. We know that worldwide there are 450 million people suffering from some kind of mental illness, but unfortunately less than half of them can afford health service for their problem,” he said. “ Our message every year on this day is to meet with the people and tell them to seek treatment for any psychological problem. We also try to raise the awareness of doctors in other specialties about the need to treat psychiatric problems in their patients, because psychological illness is not separate from the other health problems,” he added. He further stressed the need for the cooperation of mental health services in primary health care because this will lead to early detection of mental illness, and it is easier for people to go to primary health care centers if they have simple mental problems rather than going to specialized hospitals.
