Recession bites: Crunch healers

With lay-offs on the rise, the credit crunch is increasingly affecting Dubai residents not only financially but also mentally.

Dr Shujaat Nathani, a general and child psychiatrist at Health Call, a clinic in Dubai Healthcare City, reports an increase in suicidal tendencies among patients with financial worries.

“I've seen a lot more depression and suicidal thinking recently. I've had two patients who thought about killing themselves,'' said Dr Nathani, adding that the expatriate population has been the worst affected.

Helpline

Chipping in with professional assistance to help residents cope with these difficult times is Dr Raymond Hamden, a Dubai-based clinical and forensic psychologist and Director of Dubai Human Relations Institute (HRI), who has launched a programme called ‘Employee Assistance Programmes'.

The sessions help patients redefine the structure of their lives and help them create a new set of realistic goals in light of the present situation.

“It is important to remind those who have lost their jobs that they were not fired but were made redundant. These are two very different words. Redundancy means that it was through no fault of theirs.

“Uncertainty plays a lot more havoc than certainty. Being made redundant is a form of closure. Since the event has happened, people can deal with it. But with uncertainty hovering over their heads, people suffer from higher stress levels,'' said Dr Hamden. Dr Arne Brosig, who works at the German Centre for Neurology and Psychiatry, lists anxiety, sleep disturbances, nervousness, headaches and escapist reactions as other common symptoms.

According to him, it's the young professionals who are most affected. “Seventy-five per cent of our patients are between the ages 21-40,'' said Dr Brosig.

A recent Dubai poll shows that 44 per cent of residents were afraid of losing their jobs, while XPRESS has counted over 3,500 announced job cuts in Dubai since the last quarter of 2008.

“Psychologically, it is easier to cope with a certain situation than to live constantly with the fear that something bad might happen to you,'' Dr Brosig added.

Marital discord

Marriages too are under strain due to financial-related stress.

“I've seen a lot of marital discord as a result of financial problems. The husband has to work extra hard to make money and it's putting a strain on the marriage,'' Nathani said.

And children too feel the strain though they cannot fully grasp what is happening.

Some of them show an increase in behavioural, sleeping and learning problems. “Kids are not aware of the environment, but are aware of what is happening within their family,'' Dr Nathani said.

Credit tips

Assess your situation

Listing specific reasons for your stress can help you become aware and feel less overwhelmed. Take constructive steps such as reviewing your finances. That way you'll feel more prepared and less anxious.

Share any concerns

Talk to your family or close friends about how you can support and help each other to find solutions.

Take action

There may be things that you can control or change, but are not ready to do so. That's OK, but do try and set a time for taking action to resolve them.