https://arab.news/9kzpa
In a region scarred by ongoing conflicts, where the news cycle never tires and sirens echo through cities and villages alike, a creative animation project offers a quiet, practical antidote to fear.
In the Arab region, mental health has long been met with silence, shaped by stigma, shame and structural neglect. Regional conflicts and the 24-hour news cycle of violence and wars add to the stress that affects Arab families, especially children. Nevertheless, mental illness is often dismissed as weakness. For many, seeking help is still seen as disloyalty, not survival.
The ongoing war on Iran has widened the issue, expanding to countries — especially in the Gulf region, which have been quiet and peaceful for decades — the reality of having to deal with real dangers. Sirens and the need to seek shelter from incoming projectiles have caused an immediate uptick in stress and trauma for many families and communities not used to such issues.
Nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are making strides in prioritizing mental health care within their respective national visions. While this is being done mainly in response to a post-pandemic spike in youth anxiety and depression, the actual availability of care has yet to catch up.
