An agreement has been drafted between Frontline Heroes Office with the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing, under the Ministry of Community Development, and support of Emirates Foundation to initiate a mental support helpline for frontline professionals, an effort under its “Mental Health Support Line” initiative. This voluntary initiative is to help community members to cope with impact of Covid-19.

This initiative falls under the leadership and line of efforts of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, in his role as Chairman of the Frontline Heroes Office, to support frontline professionals who are facing Covid-19 head-on. The dedicated helpline will be the first of its kind in the region and would be directly supported by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, Abu Dhabi Health Services Co., SEHA, and the National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing. The support line is available from 8am – 8pm, and will offer long-term mental wellbeing support to all frontline professionals through a team comprising of over 55 specially - trained volunteers.

Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of the Frontline Heroes Office, on launching the hotline said, “Across the globe, frontline professionals have faced the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite feeling the burden of the pandemic more than most, they have continued to get up every single day and help keep this great nation going. Their selfless work has meant that the UAE has been one of the leading countries in tackling the pandemic with sincerity and passion, which is why we must take care of them in appreciation of their dedication and generosity.”

“At the Frontline Heroes Office, we see that supporting the mental welfare of frontline professionals is more important now, than ever. The current pandemic has highlighted the unique challenges faced by our invaluable frontline professionals, and our hope is that through this helpline, we can help to provide ongoing impactful mental health support to these brave individuals who are dedicating their lives to protecting us all,” he added.

Hessa Bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development said, “The national and social duty requires us to come together and ensure that we are supporting the health of frontline professionals in the same way that they have selflessly protected us, noting that it is important to focus on the frontline heroes and maintain their mental health during these crucial times and beyond.”

She further stated that this collaboration between the Ministry of Community Development and Emirates Foundation shows the pioneer level of community cooperation with the Frontline Heroes Office. Both organizations are keen to offer necessary community support and ensure that all services that meet the requirements of mental wellbeing are met for all frontline heroes in various fields.

The “Mental Health Support Line” initiative will have a dedicated line for frontline professionals accessible when calling the main 800HOPE hotline.

This initiative has received over 1,200 calls from Emiratis and residents in the UAE in need of support. These were dealt by specialists and volunteers, since the national campaign “UAE Volunteers” was launched in May 2020. The initiative is aimed to provide mental health support and community consultations to individuals by experts, consultants and specialists in the field of psychology and through volunteers via phone calls and e-communication. This is to ensure a holistic experience that keeps the privacy of caller intact.

The support line will be managed by English and Arabic-speaking volunteers, with a personal or professional connection with the mental wellbeing profession, or a student in this or specialize in mental health professions like life coaching. There is also a team of 12 second responders who are clinical psychologists, to extend support to frontline heroes.

The helpline was launched after a research was done by the Frontline Heroes Office, which showed that almost half (46%) of frontline professionals feel that pandemic has negatively impacted their mental health, a quarter of them reported burnout, while 81% said that they are concerned about getting infected with Covid-19 due to their profession. This is as per international trend of keeping mental health support of frontline professionals a priority.

The Frontline Heroes Office appreciates the efforts of frontline professionals during pandemic crisis and is directed to keep wellbeing of UAE’s frontline professionals, and also implement both short and long-term solutions to tackle those challenges. Through this partnership objective is provide basic mental support for frontline professionals throughout the pandemic and beyond.

The Frontline Heroes Office was established by Presidential Decree under the Chairmanship of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in July 2020. The Frontline Heroes Office supports frontline professionals, including health sector professionals, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, cleaning and services personnel, and also protection and prevention workers, security and emergency workers, and sanitization workers.

WAM