AUK Psychology Students Gain First-Hand Knowledge from Kuwait Center for Mental Health

AUK Psychology students had the opportunity to visit the Kuwait Center for Mental Health (KCMH) this academic year (2015/2016). While classroom lectures and individual research can provide students with essential knowledge, the visits to the institution adds a layer of education that immerses the students into real-life cases of mental health issues. The value of these visits provides students with the necessary experience to witness first-hand, the process of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of patients. The students also had the opportunity to converse with resident psychologists, physicians and patients, which all served for a well-rounded educational experience.

During the Fall, 2015 semester, Dr. Juliet Dinkha, Associate Professor of Psychology, along with students in the PSYC204 class were invited for a visit by Dr. Adel Alzayed, Consultant Psychiatrist to visit the Rehabilitation and Drug Center, and the Kuwait Center of Mental Health (KCMH). The purpose of the fieldtrip was for students to witness hands-on practices on mental disorders and treatments.

Students learned about treatment methods including addiction management, and types of services provided for individuals suffering from drug abuse. They were able to visit with a group of women who were long-term residents of the center and asked questions regarding their treatment, what their daily routines at the center consist of, their relationship with their families, and discussed the overall quality of their lives before and after receiving treatment. Dr. Jacob Al-Kandari, psychologist and program director, Ms. Amna Al-Rabiei and Dr. Mohammad H. Al-Mosawi presented informative lectures to the students on services, disorders and methods of treatments offered to patients at KMCH.

Dr. Dinkha also accompanied her Spring, 2016 PSYC 204 students for a field trip to KCMH. They were led by Dr. Abdulmohsen Alhumoud for their first stop at the Kuwait Forensic Unit, where a variety of services are offered for individuals with criminal behaviors. The students then moved on to visit Al-Manarat, a child and adolescent inpatient unit with specific services for minors. The group had an extensive presentation by the Occupational Therapy (OT) team, detailing the types of cases serviced and type of disorders and challenges. Saud Al-Suhaibi, Mental Health Counselor, and psychologist Dr. Mariam Al-Bloushi then gave a lecture to the students on the general hospital which provides mental health and psychiatric services to adults and the elderly. Finally, the students visited the Drug and Alcoholic Rehabilitation Center where Dr. Adel Al-Zeid described the facilities in the Halfway Houses Residential Wards. Furthermore, it was noted that Kuwait has the largest rehabilitation services in the Middle East.

"These trips were enlightening experiences for the students to accept that addiction and mental health disorders are serious issues in Kuwait and treatment is available for anyone who accepts it. In addition, the information they were able to gather provided them with a deeper understanding of cognitive function and psychological practices, which serves to fulfill their knowledge of psychology as a field of scientific study," said Dr. Dinkha.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 15th May 2016