Mental health awareness tour concludes

Muscat: A mental health campaign called ‘Not Alone’ has completed its six-city tour, with its final event held in Salalah last week.
After visiting Seeb, Musandam, Sur, Nizwa and Sohar, the campaign was organised at Dhofar University by Whispers of Serenity Clinic, under the guidance of mental health expert HH Sayyida Basma Al Said. The convoy, that began travelling the country in December last year, helped raise awareness about mental health disorders, advising people to seek help whenever necessary.
“The aim of this convoy was to reach those who can’t otherwise come to us for therapy and counselling. There is still so much stigma attached to this issue and it is hard for people to even acknowledge that they may be struggling with certain areas in their life,” said HH Sayyida Basma.
The team consisted of doctors, psychologists and mental health volunteers, who spoke on issues such as bullying, coping with stress, depression, child psychology, divorce issues, technology, reading habits and first aid for mental health.
In Salalah, a number of students from the university took part and expressed their views on the topics and asked related questions. One such student said, “I was happy that despite it being a holiday, students came to listen. I have been a victim of depression, and today I feel so good after listening to the wonderful speakers, when they shared their experiences with us and told us, ‘You are not alone, we are with you.’”