11:43 p.m
Monday 05 September 2022
Books – Ahmed Gomaa:
Official data from the Ministry of Health revealed that the number of visitors to the online platform for mental health and addiction treatment has exceeded 44,000 people, since its launch in mid-March.
The online mental health platform provides free government mental health services. It targets all age groups, Egyptians and non-Egyptians residing on the land of Egypt. It is the first of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. It is staffed by a group of technical and technical cadres at the Ministry of Health, psychotherapists and international experts in the field of psychiatry and addiction treatment.
According to the data obtained by Masrawy, the number of therapeutic sessions that are conducted by default for visitors to the electronic platform amounted to 2,797 sessions during the last period, for regarding 17,513 people who registered their data on it since its launch.
The platform includes three main sections. The first section provides educational and awareness content to users by providing scientific information on common disorders in general psychiatry and its specialized branches, such as child and adolescent psychiatry, the elderly and addiction.
The platform also addresses the symptoms and mechanisms of dealing with psychological crises facing patients and their families, and presents the services available in the General Secretariat for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, such as introducing hospitals and centers affiliated to the Secretariat, places and appointments of specialized clinics and awareness campaigns.
The second section includes providing psychological support and counseling services through virtual clinics through a few simple steps that enable users to assess their psychological state through the general mental health questionnaire, as well as booking a session with qualified psychotherapists.
The user can choose the appropriate place and time to perform the session in complete privacy and confidentiality of the users’ data, and both the therapist and the user, through his control panel, can evaluate the level of the session, and it also allows the therapist to transfer emergency cases to the hotline of the General Secretariat for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment for immediate intervention.
The patient can see the diagnosis of his condition recorded by the therapist in addition to sharing his own experience with others and benefiting from their experiences.
Women in the lead
According to the geographical distribution, Cairo governorate came at the forefront of users of the online platform, followed by Giza Governorate, then Alexandria Governorate, and then Dakahlia.
Looking at the age groups used for the platform, the age group between 15 to 20 years was the most attended on the platform, while girls occupied the largest percentage of visits.
The age group from 20 to 30 years came in second place, and girls were the most attended as well, with percentages dropping sharply in other age groups.
Overall, women accounted for 75 percent of all visits to the mental health platform, while men accounted for only 25 percent.
The percentages of non-working users amounted to 67 percent, compared to 33 percent of workers in different professions, and 30 percent of the platform’s visitors were married, compared to 70 percent of the unmarried.
Featured Inquiries
Looking at the most searched specialties on the online platform, “General Psychiatry” occupied the majority of users, while “Child and Adolescent Psychiatry” came in second place, then “Addiction” and then “Psychiatry for the Elderly”.
The statistical results indicated that the most inquiries received by the platform during the month of August revolved around how to talk to a psychiatrist, indicators of mental illness, stages and mechanisms of addiction treatment, the most common diseases among the elderly, children and adolescents, and mechanisms for dealing with life trauma in adolescence.
To enter the platform. Press here
