By Amina Abdel-Halim and Marina Makary Although mental health issues affect an estimated one in four people in Egypt, mental illness remains a highly stigmatized topic across the country. Patients and their families often find themselves on the receiving end of judgment and social exclusion, hindering recovery and rehabilitation. The newly launched Fahim Foundation for Mental Health Support aims to lift this stigma by raising awareness through lectures, workshops, media campaigns, and other outreach initiatives under the slogan ‘understand, listen, and speak’. The foundation, headed by former Minister of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs Ambassador Nabila Makram, places special emphasis on the role of family in early detection, treatment, and recovery; as well as working to provide families of people living with mental health issues with adequate support structures. At a launch event held on Friday 27 January at Almasa hotel in Nasr City, attendees were greeted with a pamphlet introducing the foundation’s mission, along with brief definitions of various mental illnesses. The examples spanned conditions ranging from social anxiety, to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia, pointing to the foundation’s inclusive ethos: no illness, however debilitating, is too…
New Egyptian ‘Fahim Foundation’ Emphasizes Role of Family in Mental Health Treatment
January 29, 2023
