UAE: Free counselling service announced for Abu Dhabi residents

UAE: Free counselling service announced for Abu Dhabi residents

The Estijaba helpline 8001717, which has been providing psychological support services through SEHA's staff members over the telephone, will be further enhanced through a partnership among Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the Department of Community Development (DCD) and Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC).

The helpline addresses psychological distress calls, including emergencies in the community. It is a free-of-cost service available six days a week, from Sunday to Friday between 8 am and 6 pm.

The psychological support services were initiated earlier in 2021 as services added to the package of services provided in relation to Covid-19 pandemic response through the Estijaba helpline.

The idea is to provide the community with safe and accessible consultations that address their mental health matters without worrying about the cost and anonymity. Hotline counsellors offer psychological interventions to all community callers seeking support.

SEHA aims to provide a safe, non-judgmental, anonymous and empathic environment through the call. As a community resource, the service is available to address psychological concerns, emergencies related to mental health, and psychiatric crises through telephone calls.

Services offered range from telephone counselling to referrals to mental health services within the SEHA network, including outpatient psychiatric clinics and or the emergency department and facilitate psychiatric