{
  "id": 13657387,
  "title": "HMC and PHCC highlight community mental health services on World Mental Health Day",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/hmc-and-phcc-highlight-community-mental-health-services-on-world",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-11T05:50:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Peninsula Qatar",
    "slug": "the-peninsula-qatar",
    "url": "https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/11/10/2026/hmc-and-phcc-highlight-community-mental-health-services-on-world-mental-health-day"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Doha, Qatar witnessed the collaboration of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) on World Mental Health Day 2026, highlighting the ongoing development of mental health services across the nation. World Mental Health Day, observed annually on 10 October, aims to emphasize the significance of accessible, high-quality mental health care tailored to individual needs. This year's theme, \"Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change,\" underscores the value of engaging individuals who have faced mental health challenges and acknowledges their invaluable perspectives in shaping mental health services.\n\nAs Qatar's primary provider of specialist mental health care, HMC offers a wide array of services catering to children, young people, and adults across various settings, including inpatient, outpatient, community, and virtual platforms. These services encompass Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), perinatal mental health, older adult psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, intellectual disability services, adult psychiatry, psychology, and community mental health care. The corporation is committed to advancing these specialized services while ensuring the provision of high-quality care in community settings when clinically appropriate, without compromising access to specialized hospital-based treatments for patients with complex needs.\n\nLived experience plays a crucial role in this approach, with the insights of those who have navigated mental health conditions providing crucial feedback to healthcare professionals. This input aids in identifying barriers to care, pinpointing opportunities for service enhancement, and customizing care pathways to meet the unique needs of patients. Dr. Majid Alabdulla, Chairman of Mental Health at HMC, stated, \"Over recent years, HMC has expanded its range of specialist mental health services, focusing on delivering evidence-based, patient-centered care through expert multidisciplinary teams, whether in the community, via outpatient or virtual services, or within our inpatient facilities.\"\n\nQatar's mental health care model has been significantly shaped by the partnership between HMC and PHCC, integrating mental health services into primary care. This collaboration has led to the establishment of 28 integrated mental health clinics and services across health centers, enhancing access to community-based care for various patient groups, such as adults, older adults, perinatal patients, and autistic individuals. Dr. Samya Al Abdulla, Senior Consultant Family Physician and Executive Director of Operations at PHCC, explained, \"Primary care is pivotal in supporting individuals with mental health needs. PHCC health centers enable patients to discuss mental health concerns with their family physician, receive assessments and appropriate care, and be referred to integrated or specialized mental health services when necessary. Primary care physicians also identify, assess, and manage mental health issues within primary care, with access to psychology and other supportive services when required, ensuring patients receive the most suitable level of care and appropriate referrals to specialist services.\"",
  "summary": "<p>Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in collaboration with Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), is highlighting the continued development of specialist and community-based mental health services across Qatar as the country joins the global community in marking World Mental Health Day 2026.</p> <p>Held annually on 10 October, World Mental Health Day provides an opportunity to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "10 simple steps to boost mental health: Dubai Health Authority's guide for World Mental Health Day",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/10-simple-steps-to-boost-mental-health-dubai-health-authoritys-guide",
        "published": "2026-10-10T19:10:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Mental health essential component of healthy life, say Sindh governor, CM",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/mental-health-essential-component-of-healthy-life-say-sindh-governor",
        "published": "2026-10-11T04:58:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}