Iraq: The Impact of War & Violence on Mental Health

Welcome to our next big webinar, “Iraq: The Impact of War and Violence on Mental Health”, hosted by the Student Iraqi Medical Association (SIMA) in partnership with the United Iraqi Medical Association (UIMA).

Iraq has observed ongoing conflict and corruption for decades, and as a result, the new generation of young people are facing enormous challenges, including childhood trauma, bereavement, unemployment, poverty, long-term anxiety and depression. Whilst epidemiological data for mental illness continues to be scarce, in 2019 it was recorded that over 20% of the population are suffering. This highlights the significant deprivation of mental health professionals and a serious lack of insight of its importance, fuelled by the massive social stigma that exists in Iraqi society. We invite you to this eye-opening evening where we discuss the mental health crisis in the Iraqi population.

Dr Tarik Al-Kubaisy is a Consultant General Adult Psychiatrist based at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Hull York Medical School. Dr Tarik Al-Kubaisy has over 30 years experience in psychiatry as a consultant general adult, old age, forensic, psychotherapy, Medico-Legal expert witness, approved Clinician and, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty trained psychiatrist. He has been an Academic; teaching, examining, supervising under- and postgraduates (medicine, psychology, nursing and social services). He is also the current principal investigator (PI) of the ongoing “DPIM "DNA Polymorphism in Mental Health Disorders”.

Dr Yasir Hameed is a Consultant Psychiatrist based at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in General Adult and Old Age Psychiatry. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Norwich Medical School. After graduating from medical school in Baghdad, Dr Hameed experienced first-hand the beginnings of the Iraq War in his medical practice. His personal experience inspired him to undertake a career in psychiatry, and also takes interest in supporting asylum seekers and refugees with severe mental health disorders.

Dr Sarmad Nadeem is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Associate Medical Director based at Pennine Care NHS Trust, A graduate of Al-Jami'at Al-Mustansiriyah, he undertook a Masters degree at the university of Manchester where he is currently also an honorary lecturer. He was shortlisted for the North West division Psychiatrist of the Year Award by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) in 2020 and is the Great Innovation Award Finalist for the Pennine Care NHS Trust in 2019.

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The Student Iraqi Medical Association is a voluntary, non-profit organisation run by medical and dental students from universities across London. For the last decade, SIMA has worked to help hundreds of students get into medical and dental schools across the country.