“Monset” First Mental Health Hotline for Arabs in the UK
“La Tahzan” Center (Don’t be Sad in Arabic) has announced the launch of the United Kingdom’s first free psychological support hotline called “Monset” (Lister in Arabic). The service was launched officially on Saturday, August 27th.
About “Monset”
The non-profit service “Monset” was created with the aim of providing a safe space for members of the Arab community in Britain. A space where they can speak of their burdens and problems without worry or care in complete privacy and under the supervision of a specialist.
It is a service that cherishes and keeps in mind Arab culture and provides you with someone who understands your challenges and problems as an Arab.
La Tahzan centre is the first centre to specialize in psychological counselling for Arabic speakers in Europe. They have stressed on their Facebook account the importance of maintaining sound mental health in addition to our physical health. Pointing the unaddressed issues that Arab face, such as Racism, Challenges of Raising Children with the Arab Identity in mind, as well as other problems and fears they face.
Listening helps mental health
In an interview with Arab in UK (AUK), Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi (the initiator of Monset service) said that any mental health treatment needs two main factors:
- First: is the communication between the doctor and the patient. The language barrier causes a big obstacle for Arabs in Britain when communicating with their psychiatrists who use the English-language such as the case with the National Health Authority (NHS) or any other agency – even if they use translators it will still not be an easy-going conversation.
- Second: is the ability of the doctor to understand the different cultures and backgrounds of their patients. This includes the religious aspect, lifestyle, customs and traditions. Even if an Arab in Britain can communicate his feelings and feelings to a psychiatrist, it is likely that the therapist will not realize the patient’s cultural background, and therefore may judge him or his lifestyle negatively.
keeping that in the mind, Dr. Al-Awadi said: “When we realized these two obstacles that prevent many Arabs from seeking psychological counselling, despite their fire needs for one, the idea of “Monset” came up”
He also added that the service does not only listen to your problems, but also provides advice, support, and guidance when needed.
Dr. Al-Awadi then proceed to speak of the response the service received since its release: “Al Humdallah [Thank God], the results are very promising We’ve found a huge interest in the idea since the trial run in April.
You can now contact “Monset” service any day from 12 pm until 9 pm – UK Time – on:
- Phone at +443300533336
- SMS (+447888866944)
- WhatsApp messages on the number (447888866944) or via the link
You can also visit their site by clicking here
You can also participate in the success of the project by joining their volunteer team, which receives more than 30 hours of free training in communication skills in the field of mental health, or by supporting by donating.
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