Mental health is all too often a taboo subject, especially in the Middle East. As a result, many people battling depression, anxiety or other common disorders are unwilling to seek the help they need to feel better, writes Matt Smith.
That was the very dilemma faced by Bassim Albeladi’s brother, who refused to visit a clinic although he required professional treatment for depression. As it happens, a family friend was a psychologist and conducted therapy sessions over the phone for six months before Albeladi’s brother felt able to see a professional in person.
The apparent lack of remote care in Saudi Arabia prompted Albeladi to create an app he called Labayh. It allows users to book anonymously therapy sessions that are conducted remotely.
“I was lucky I knew a psychologist, but it made me question how many other people in Saudi Arabia and the wider region are suffering like my brother and feel shame about going to a mental health clinic, and why there wasn’t an alternative way to get in contact with a therapist,” says Albeladi, 31, founder of the Medina-based company.
“I decided to try to find a solution to make it easier for people to find a therapist without any stigma and help make mental health therapy more widely available no matter where you live.”
Since the launch in 2018, around 25,000 people in need of help and about 50 certified therapists have registered with Labayh. It has provided some 12,000 therapy sessions so far, with roughly 65% of clients being women and 35% men. The most common type of treatment is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
This service is much needed - one in four people globally will suffer mental or neurological disorders during their lives, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates. In Saudi Arabia, there are just 2.03 psychologists per 100,000 people, WHO data shows. While this number is higher than in most Middle East countries, it is far below the levels found in Europe and North America.
“There’s a huge shortage,” says Albeladi.
PROVIDING HELP ACROSS BORDERS
Currently, all of Labayh’s therapists are Saudi-based although the company has clients in nine countries. Some of those based abroad are Saudi nationals.
“We believe this type of therapy should be provided by those who deeply understand the culture,” says Albeladi.
Users can view therapists’ online profiles, which include details of their specialisms, experience, hourly rate and reviews. Prices vary from around 100 to 200 riyals ($26 to $53) per hour, with bookings made through the app or website. An email and a username are all that is required to register.
“Anonymity is very important to our clients,” Albeladi notes.
Users can communicate with their selected therapist via video, audio, messaging or voice notes. They often use a combination of these, audio and messaging being the most popular.
To further expand access to treatment, Labayh launched mental health webinars and online group therapy sessions in late 2019, delivering around 30 sessions so far to a combined audience of 5,000 people from 13 countries. It is also in the process of creating a free online directory of mental health disorders and conditions in Arabic.
The app has been downloaded more than 30,000 times on Android and iPhone. This year, the company will add to its roster therapists from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates before expanding into the rest of the Middle East in 2021. Self-funded, Labayh will seek to raise money from investors later in 2020, Albeladi shared but declined to provide more details.
“Labayh is a solution that adapts technology to support “silent” patients - to enable them to open up and get the help they need,” he adds. “We’re there for everyone, from youth to the elderly. We’re here to say it’s okay to suffer, it’s okay to ask for help. We’re here to listen.”