Child Mental Health in Duhok, Iraq
By: Dr Abdulbaghi Ahmad, MD, SBCAP, PhD, Founding Director, Metin Health House for Child Mental Health, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Since we shared the last update of child mental health activities in Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, in the IACAPAP Bulletin December 2020 | Issue #60, the Metin Health House (MHH) has continued its struggle to survive with the ongoing socioeconomic crises in the region. Despite these challenges we have been able to advance the following programs:
Figure 1: Information about the Metin Health House
The First Stage of MHH: started in 2008 as a private initiative recommended by the Director General of Health in Duhok. This innovative model of child mental health care designed to gradually allow the governmental health system to take over following closure of the Department of Child Mental Health at the Duhok University after 10 years of activity in collaboration with the Swedish Uppsala University (2001 - 2011). According to the Investment law, the state provided land while the building started as a private investment with two departments; an out-patient clinic receiving Child and Adolescent Psychiatric patients for diagnosis and treatment, and a day-care for preschool children (1-5 years of age) integrating children with special needs from the first department with normally developing children.
Due to the rapid social transition in the region from a closed collective society to an open one with focus on the individual, there have been different socio-economic crises leading to increased poverty. The state could not take over responsibility to deliver care free of charge. Thus, the number of visitors to the MHH gradually decreased (compare 2013 in Table 1 with 2024 in Table 2).
Table 1: Gender distribution of visiting patients to the MHH in 2013
Table 2: Gender distribution of visiting patients to the MHH in 2024
The economic crisis continues to pervade the society in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, mainly due to corruption. As a consequence, the number of visiting patients continues to decline despite the discounts offered to families in need.
The Second Stage: started in 2021 with a building that separately housed two further departments; a Maternal and Child Mental Care (MCMC) and a department serving Healthy Original Food (HOF). The request of ownership for the land is proceeding according to the Investment law, and a proposal has been submitted to the government for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
This article represents the view of its author(s) and does not necessarily represent the view of the IACAPAP's bureau or executive committee.
