Geriatric Mental Health and COVID-19: An Eye-Opener to the Situation of the Arab Countries in the Middle East and North Africa Region |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychiatry, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon;2. Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon;3. Helwan Mental Health Hospital, Cairo, Egypt;4. The Sudanese Medical Specialization Board, Khartoum, Sudan;5. Department of Psychiatry, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria;6. Oman Medical Specialty Board, Muscat, Oman;7. Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;8. Al Ain Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;9. Ibn Rushd Psychiatry University Center, Casablanca, Morocco;10. University of Algiers, Drid Hocine Hospital specialized in Psychiatry, Department A, Algiers, Algeria;11. Department of Psychiatry, University of Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya;12. Razi Hospital, Faculty of medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Cite Romana, Tunis, Tunisia;13. Hamad Medical Corporation, Mental Health Service, Doha, Qatar;14. National Center for Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Jordan;15. Department of Behavioural Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman |
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| Abstract: | While the detrimental ramifications of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental wellbeing of the general public continue to unravel, older adults seem to be at high risk. As the geriatric population continues to grow in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, it is essential to explore the influence of this outbreak on geriatric mental health, a topic often neglected. In this review, we depict the status of geriatric psychiatry in the Arab countries of the MENA region, exploring the variations from one nation to another. While some have a null exposure to the field, resources and expertise in other countries range from very limited to extensive. Furthermore, we highlight the measures implemented in the Arab region to address mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak; these tend to be insufficient when targeting the geriatric population. Finally, we provide short- and long-term recommendations to stakeholders that aim at enhancing the mental healthcare of older adults in the Arab countries of the MENA region, particularly during this pandemic. |
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