When it comes to mental healthcare, Kuwait is a country in which advancements are slowly being made. In addition to the Psychological Medicine Hospital, a dedicated facility opened in 2005, the Kuwait Times reports that, in 2014, seven primary care centres were added to the nation’s growing list of treatment options for those with severe anxiety and other similar conditions. The Health Minister has stated they aim to integrate psychiatry into Kuwait’s primary healthcare facilities and offer support for both mental and physical ailments as required.
Obstacles to Proper Anxiety Treatment
Although the mental healthcare field in Kuwait is developing, there are some major hurdles to overcome. One of the greatest is that conditions such as anxiety come with a negative stigma amongst the locals. In fact, the LA Times when speaking to a Kuwaiti psychologist found that the stigma was so great that they couldn’t even use the word patient. Instead, hospitals and healthcare centres referred to those with mental conditions as clients.
There is, however, a new awareness campaign called Taqabbal which is aimed at changing the attitudes and perceptions of the Kuwaiti public. Hosting regular lectures and seminars in schools throughout the country, they hope to make people understand conditions such as anxiety instead of labelling sufferers as crazy and excluding them from public life. They also hope to offer people more information about the symptoms and treatment options for these types of mental illnesses.
Facts & Figures about Anxiety in Kuwait
While there are no official government figures about the number of anxiety cases within Kuwait, there have been several localised studies which give us a good idea about the prevalence of this mental ailment throughout the country. One research paper compared death anxiety in adults before Iraqi aggression in 1988 and after liberation in 1993. The data revealed much higher rates of anxiety after the conflict suggesting a possible link between the two.
There have been a number of studies looking at gender differences for anxiety rates in Kuwait. One looked at diagnoses of infertility and found that 12.7% of women and 6% of men suffered from anxiety as a result. However, men were more likely to show this anxiety than women. Another study looked at undergraduate students. Here, the results showed that 28.4% of females and 22% of males experienced moderate to severe anxiety. In women, this was likely to manifest in excessive consumption of fast food, snacks and beverages.
Options for Kuwaitis Suffering from Anxiety
While there are some local treatment options for Kuwaitis seeking relief from anxiety, factors such as social stigma may cause people to look elsewhere including overseas. This is especially true if they want true international levels of care which cannot be found within the country. For this, those with anxiety need only look to a centre such as Camino Recovery for the solution to all their mental health needs.
We run a private facility located an hour from Malaga Airport on the Andalusian Coast in Spain. As well as modern villas, lush gardens and a swimming pool, our retreat also comes staffed with a full clinical and support team who are experienced in the field of mental healthcare. They will sit down and formulate a tailored plan to help seek the root cause of your anxiety and teach you a range of mental techniques so you can maintain a more positive frame of mind in the future.
Treatment Designed for Long Term Results
Regardless of the type of anxiety you are experiencing, we will utilise a selection of effective programmes designed to alleviate your mental symptoms and form positive habits to maintain a balanced mindset. Incorporating treatment such as group therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and equine assisted psychotherapy into your daily routine, we will create a positive, supportive environment in which you can restore your mental health and return to Kuwait a happier individual.
Those interested in checking into Camino Recovery should start planning their trip today! Malaga Airport is approximately 12 hours from Kuwait City with flights available from Turkish Airways, Lufthansa and British Airways through various transit destinations. On arrival, one of our personal drivers will pick you up and take you straight to our private retreat. We will take care of everything for you during your stay with us, allowing you to focus completely on the task at hand. Not only will you rid yourself of the symptoms of your anxiety, but you can also fly back home to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle afterwards.
