The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Emirates concluded the inaugural New Technology & Mental Health Conference.
The two-day conference was attended by 1,000 experts both virtually and physically, chaired by Professor Emmanuel Stip, Professor and Head of Psychiatry at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), in partnership with Dr Ghanem Al-Hassani, Group Education Director, SEHA.
The conference was attended by prominent figures within relevant fields, including the head of the Montreal Hospital in Canada, the head of the psychiatry department at Gdansk Medical University in Poland, and the head of the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction at the University of Montreal. And the vice dean of the University of Alberta. Additionally, the conference welcomed doctors from the National Institute of Forensic and Psychological Evidence of the University of Montreal, professors from the University of Altria, and from UAE, doctors from Erada Center For Treatment and Rehab, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Gulf Medical University, alongside executive heads of new and emerging companies in the treatment of mental illness. The conference also welcomed a group of medical school professors from the UAEU led by the Dean of the College of Medicine His Excellency Dr Jumaa Al Kaabi and mental health experts, neurologists, pharmacologists, mental health officials, psychologists, primary care physicians, researchers, software engineers, mental health nurses, therapists, and students.
Commenting on the conference, Dr Ghanem Al-Hassani, Group Education Director, SEHA said: “We had an exceptional first New Technology and Mental Health Conference, and were delighted to welcome the many experts that all came together to share thoughts and practices. The scientific program of this conference will continue to be rich in information, focusing on the latest medical and technological solutions for mental health, and it is our continuous objective that SEHA will continue its essential contribution to bringing about the desired and necessary change in this field.”
The conference shed light on many topics such as artificial intelligence, computer applications, and the technology of modern medical devices in treating mental illnesses. As the first-of-its-kind conference, it also highlighted the application of software and medical devices for treating mental illnesses, looking beyond the currently recognized drug treatments available today.
The conference presented unique learning experiences with the presence of eminent speakers within the fields of technology and psychiatry. Focusing on presenting knowledge and new information, the conference provided extensive updates on the latest technologies used to address the mental health needs of patients.
Some notable technologies highlighted within the conference include ‘Machine Learning Applications in Administrative Mental Health Data’; ‘rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) in Psychosis and Cell App Follow Up’; ‘Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health and Drug design’; ‘Recent Advances in the Neuromodulation of Mood’, Mindtales ‘new device in mental health, ‘Takalam: Online counselling Service’, ‘Avatar therapy and virtual reality, and more.
