Abu Dhabi launches specialised mental health network for children

Abu Dhabi: PureHealth has launched SAKINA for Children, a specialised mental health network aimed at expanding access to psychiatric and developmental services for children and adolescents across Abu Dhabi.

The service will cater to children and teenagers up to the age of 18, bringing together outpatient consultations, early intervention programmes and inpatient mental health care under a coordinated care model.

According to PureHealth, SAKINA for Children is expected to support nearly 500 children each month through specialised treatment programmes focused on the early identification and management of psychological, behavioural and developmental conditions.

Services include child and adolescent psychiatry, developmental paediatrics, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, behavioural interventions and psychological support for families.

The network will also provide specialised inpatient care for children and adolescents requiring acute psychiatric stabilisation, as well as intensive therapeutic support for children with neurodevelopmental conditions. The inpatient units are designed to provide multidisciplinary care involving psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and families throughout treatment and follow-up.

PureHealth said the programme uses internationally recognised assessment tools, including the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) for autism evaluations, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) for cognitive assessments, and Conners Rating Scales for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Dr Zain Ali Al Yafai, Chief Executive Officer of SAKINA, said the initiative focuses on improving access to early intervention services and integrating mental and physical healthcare pathways for children and adolescents.

The services will be offered in Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu and Malayalam to improve accessibility for Abu Dhabi's multicultural population.

SAKINA for Children is being rolled out through the wider SAKINA mental health network, which currently includes 34 satellite clinics, two mental health hubs, two psychiatric inpatient facilities, two neurodiversity centres and nine integrated clinics located within tertiary hospitals across the PureHealth network.

The programme will also support community awareness initiatives through partnerships with schools and organisations aimed at promoting early identification of mental health concerns among children and adolescents.