Parents of children with mental or behavioural issues can feel alone, but a conference at Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi seeks to address this.
It can be heartbreaking, frustrating and confusing to raise a child with a mental illness. Parents may feel they lack support and wonder what they can do to help their child enjoy the world more fully.
Sally Tereffe’s son suffers from depression. She says, ‘Seeing your child suffer from mental illness is a daily struggle and it’s hard to talk about it with others because many people just don’t understand.’
But from January 24-25, the Child Mental and Behavioural Health Conference at Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi will show parents like Sally that they are not alone. Mental health professionals, physicians and scholars will gather to present the latest studies relating to mental health in children, and meet their parents. The event is open to members of the public who register for it.
Over 30 speakers hailing from the Middle East, north Africa and the United States will present at the conference, and there will be presentations in Arabic and English throughout.
One of the more well known speakers at this year’s event will be American author Wally Lamb. Known for his novels She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, both of which were selected for Oprah’s book club. Lamb has been recognised for his anti-stigmatisation of mental illness in his characters. Wally will be speaking about families who have mentally ill relatives and how it affects them and their relationship within society.
Meanwhile, Dr Jay Salpekar, the director of the neurobehaviour programme at Washington DC’s Children’s National Medical Center, will discuss how Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects children and their parents. He will detail a three-pronged treatment method which consists of education, medication and behavioural modification through social skills training.
Dr Fadi Maalouf, from the American University of Beirut Medical Center, will discuss mood disorders in child patients. She’ll explain unipolar disorders – where patients experience one extreme mood such as depression – as well as bipolar disorders, where patients swing between two extreme moods. She’ll also discuss specific cases and present studies showing which treatments have proven effective for dealing with children who have these issues.
Qatari doctor Hanan Derby will give a speech entitled, ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children with Special Needs’. The talk will bring to light difficulties that special needs children face, many of which are often overlooked – specifically, how they are particularly vulnerable to mistreatment from those close to them. Dr Hanan will explain how the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children depends on collective efforts between agencies and professionals.
A lecture by Dr Justin Thomas from Zayed University will be about methods to prevent mental illness, particularly depression – one of the leading illnesses worldwide. Dr Justin will introduce metacognitive treatments, which gradually change how a patient reacts to their thoughts and emotions. This technique has proven effective in reducing depression relapses in vulnerable patients.
This conference will shine a light on illnesses that are often difficult to discuss and therefore go unnoticed or untreated. By bringing medical professionals and mental health experts to Abu Dhabi, parents of children who suffer from these difficult disorders will at last find support from a well-informed community.
Dhs400 for non-medical professionals. January 24-25, 9am-5pm. Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, Al Muroor Road, www.themcc-group.com (02 698 8888).
