The Psychiatry Department at Rashid Hospital has held its 6th annual awards ceremony of the Mental Health Awareness Campaign 2015 and honored the American University in the Emirates (AUE).

AUE has a long standing relationship with Rashid Hospital with several collaborations that have been recognized in the past few years. Dr. Emad Shahrouri of the College of Education (CEDU) steered the most recent initiative through the Psychology program at AUE.

One of the collaborations involved students participating with Rashid Hospital’s Psychiatry Department headed by Consultant Dr. Alya Hamad Al Merri. Several students, including honored students Walid Musa Ibrahim and the late Rashed Duwaya Ahli, took part in a walkathon for awareness on mental health to support an end to the social stigma surrounding the subject and its sufferers, as well as several seminars where students and faculty were able to delve into the Psychiatry Department to learn and be inspired by its efforts.

Studying a Minor in Psychology and a Major in Business Management, Walid Musa Ibrahim explained that, ‘Although one might think that the two subjects are unrelated, I felt it was important to interlink Psychology into Business as many aspects, such as, body language, an understanding of your audience’s psyche and being empathetic towards their concerns is learnt through the help of my Minor.’

According to the World Health Organization over 350 million people suffer from depression worldwide, without prejudice to age. This make depression the leading global cause of disability. Therefore, campaigns on mental health can change the perception and mindset towards mental disabilities, showing the true face of psychiatric help in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

In her keynote speech, Dr. Samia Abul, a Consultant at the Psychiatry Department at Rashid Hospital, stressed the importance of the Mental Health Campaign, stating, ‘Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.’

AUE has built itself as an advocate of modern education where it encourages a focus on topics and subjects that are often overlooked yet pay an enormous and significant position within the construction of the future of UAE. Hence, AUE will continue to distinguish itself and its students through these vital developments creating a society built on understanding and a strong foundation of higher education.