AR
UR
A recent research paper by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Community Development (DCD) has revealed how the emirate managed to tackle pandemic’s impact on the mental and physical health of emirate’s older population.
The research that was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health said various programmes by government agencies over the past years had a positive effect on the mental wellbeing of people in the community. The research comes amid new wave of pandemic across the world.
DCD, between April and June 2020, DCD run two rounds of a survey to identify challenges and concerns of community in Abu Dhabi in the wake of the pandemic. About 33,000 responses were recieved from the community. The assessments by global research indicated a significant rise in mental health issues among older adults, including anxiety and loneliness. In comparison, the DCD study participants showed milder symptoms, lower levels of irritability, emotional exhaustion, signs of depression, sleep disorder and overeating. The responses come with last year launching of an initiative in partnership with the Family Development Foundation (FDF) to assess the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in enhancing elderly people’s mental wellbeing.
“Physical and mental wellbeing of people is always a top priority for the Abu Dhabi community. We understand the concerns of the community during these challenging times, especially the seniors,” said Dr Layla Al Hyas, DCD executive director for social monitoring and innovation.
“We always strive to collaborate with the social sector and various government authorities to address the major risk factors to mental and physical health and wellbeing of individuals by tapping into the potential of technology and introducing innovative interventions. The scale of mental distress since the start of the pandemic required unprecedented levels of mental-health support to ensure that it did not to lead to permanent scarring, especially among the older population,” she added.
According to the official, the COVID-19 crisis increased the risk factors generally related to poor mental health, including financial insecurity, social connection, access to physical exercise and access to health services. Older people were among hardest hit.
“The scale of the problem prompted us to ensure more integrated, whole-of-society mental health support. Although the results of our initiatives are impressive, much more work is left to be done. We can - and will - do better to help every member of our community to tide over the crisis and live a normal and happy life,” Dr Al Hyas said.
Professor Masood Badri, Advisor to the Chairman of DCD, who developed the research paper, valued continuous support by department and efforts that helped motivate researchers for conducting scientific and innovative studies to achieve solutions that meet the challenges. He stressed that DCD is cooperating with government institutions and policies, as the emirate of Abu Dhabi has unique culture and tradition, showcased by extensive and strong social bonds and connections, playing an important role in helping community to overcome few challenges and crises.
Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has launched a 'COVID-19 Long-Term Effects Dashboard' that provides important data to monitor and follow up on complications experienced by people recovering from coronavirus infection. Through use of artificial intelligence, the dashboard can measure the chances of developing post-COVID syndrome, the DoH mentioned on its social media channels.
SOURCE : Gulf News