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First Maternal Mental Health Clinic Opens In Qatar

First Maternal Mental Health Clinic Opens In Qatar

Qatar has a new clinic specialized for women suffering from maternal mental health problems to offer help to pregnant women.

Maternal mental health is a problem that often goes overlooked, especially in less developed areas around the world.

According to the World Health Organization, around 10% of all pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience some sort of mental disorder, primarily depression. In developing countries, these figures seem to rise to 15.6% during pregnancy and 19.8% right after childbirth.

In most cases, women suffering from any kind of maternal mental health issue can not function properly as mothers and give infants the care they need. In more severe cases, the mental health conditions develop into suicidal thoughts and urges.

Earlier this week, Qatar’s Sidra Medical and Research Center opened the first Women’s Perinatal Mental Healthcare Clinic in the country.

The facility is run by trained professionals who are ready to offer pregnant women and new mothers the care and counseling they need to get through tough periods.

Cases that they can help with include, but are not limited to, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychosis. All of which could be overcome with a help and counseling from a professional.

At the moment, the clinic is only limited to patients who are referred by Sidra’s Obstetrics Clinic, Hamad Medical Corp. hospitals and Primary Health Care Corp. centers, but plans to expand their services to everyone are on the agenda.

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