Friday 04 / October / 2024
Muscat: To help people in Oman cope with the mental anxiety they face during the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, a group of volunteer mental health professionals have set up a website where people can find methods to address their tensions, and seek out counselling services if needed.
The Psychology of Youth Volunteering Team, in partnership with the Sultanate’s National Youth Commission (NYC), created a website named Tattaman, which in Arabic means ‘be assured’. On it are many techniques people can practice at home to ease the impact of stress brought on by the novel coronavirus, as well as techniques for keeping children calm during such situations. The website can be reached at www.psychcovid19oman.com.
“The National Youth Commission reached out to us about a few weeks ago and asked us if we would be able to put together a website for people to deal with anxiety issues brought about by COVID-19,” said Ghadeer Al Lawati, the social media manager of the Psychology of Youth Volunteering Team. “We have never seen anything like this before, and a lot of people are anxious because they don’t know when the coronavirus will end or what impact it will have on them.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to put this together, because COVID-19 is an ongoing issue, and the National Youth Commission recommended we create the site quickly, so that it could have maximum impact on people’s mental health,” she added. “The initiative is an interactive website that aims to provide self-help resources that will be beneficial in supporting people’s mental health during this time, by providing them with techniques that can be easily implemented at home.
“The content of the website is all evidence-based, and has been supervised by a number of specialised psychologists and psychiatrists in the field,” said Al Lawati. “The website also offers a live chat feature, allowing individuals to receive support and guidance live by interacting with psychologists about different ways support can be offered.”
The Tattaman website is currently only available in Arabic, but the Psychology of Youth Volunteering Team is working on an English version. Self-help is available for those who need help with shock, difficulty sleeping, boredom, sadness, panic, providing first aid to those who need it, family and child wellbeing, and loneliness.
In addition to trained psychologists, the team that put together the site also consists of doctors and nurses to provide a more comprehensive guide to ensuring people stay well at this time. The website also consists of resources for counselling and therapists across Oman, should anyone require access to qualified professionals.
“The website also offers a live chat feature, allowing individuals to receive support and guidance live by interacting with psychologists about different ways support can be offered,” said Al Lawati. “It is important to consider that we’re not the only ones who may be facing distress during this crisis, and hearing other people’s stories and experiences may give us more strength to move forward.
“Hence, we encourage people who feel comfortable to share their stories and experiences of hope they have been coping during this time, so we can be inspired by one another and learn from each other in hopes of gaining a peace of mind,” she added.
