First Mental Health Clinic for Pregnant Women Opens in Qatar

Pregnant women and new mothers who suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental health problems now have a place to turn to.

The Sidra Medical and Research Centre has opened Qatar’s first Women’s Perinatal Mental Healthcare Clinic this week. The clinic has professionals who will can offer counselling for issues including attachment and bonding issues, dealing with trauma and loss as well as other serious disorders, such as postpartum psychosis and schizophrenia.

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To be able to seek the clinic’s help, the patient must be referred by Sidra’s Obstetrics Clinic, Hamad Medical Corp hospitals or Primary Health Care Corp centres. This is likely to change in the future as there are plans to expand the clinic’s services.

Photo: Sidra Women's Perinatal Mental Healthcare Clinic team/Sidra.org

Psychological health

The clinic marks a significant step forward as mental healthcare services aren’t widely available in Qatar. Emotional health is equally as important as physical health for pregnant women and new mothers.
It is common to suffer from mental health issues during this life-changing time.  

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Last year, a series about giving birth in Qatar was released and many of the mothers shared how they struggled with depression and uncertainty about how to be good mothers. Women who have gone through miscarriages also need help to cope with what they experienced. All these women had nowhere to turn to for support.