TABLE 2.

Table Summarizing the Characteristics of the General Mental Health Services Generated During COVID-19 in Each of the Represented Arab Countries of the MENA Region

Country	Date of the First Documented Case of COVID-19	Communications About COVID-19 and Mental Health	Innovative Methods Adopted for the Dissemination of Information About COVID-19 and Mental Health	Implementation of Telepsychiatry for Mental Health Support	Taskforce for Mental Health During COVID-19
Algeria	February 25, 2020	Yes	•Establishing a call center by mental health professionals for the general public and healthcare workers exposed to COVID-19. •Organizing live-streamed videos that promote mental well-being via social media outlets (organized by psychiatrists and health magazines).	Yes	Yes
Egypt	February 14, 2020	Yes	•Establishing a hotline for mental health consultations by the General Secretariat of the Mental Health and Addiction Treatment. •Organizing awareness campaigns about mental health during pandemics (by governmental and non-governmental organizations). •Delivering online webinars targeting the mental health specialists and the physicians working at quarantine sites.	Yes	Yes
Jordan	March 2, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating educational material about mental health during COVID-19 (pamphlets, videos, etc.) targeting both healthcare workers and the general public via social media outlets (by the Jordanian Medical Association and several non-governmental organizations). •Providing weekly sessions for psychological support targeting the nursing staff at the primary hospital treating COVID-19 (by the Ministry of Health). •Arranging video calls and phone calls to support and evaluate the mental health of patients with COVID-19 (by the Ministry of Health).	Yes	Yes
Lebanon	February 21, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating pamphlets about mental health targeting the general public, healthcare workers, parents, and children via social media outlets. These tackle the general mental health, anxiety, and burnout during COVID-19 (by the Ministry of Health, the Lebanese Psychiatric Society, and multiple non-governmental organizations). •Delivering online webinars targeting mental health during the pandemic.	Yes	Yes
Libya	March 24, 2020	No	•Delivering mental health services via emergency hotlines. This is, however, limited to a few institutions.	Yes	No
Morocco	March 2, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating pamphlets about mental health, targeting the general public via social media outlets. These tackle the general mental health, anxiety, as well as distress from isolation and quarantine during COVID-19. •Delivering online webinars targeting mental health during the pandemic (under the supervision of the Ministry of Health). •Organizing live-streamed videos that promote mental well-being via social media outlets (held by private practice psychiatrists and psychologists). •Establishing an anonymous hotline for the psychological support of healthcare workers in university hospitals. •Establishing a hotline that provides information about the virus and its clinical manifestations.	Yes	Yes
Oman	February 24, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating educational material (pamphlets and awareness cards) targeting the general public of all age groups via social media outlets. These tackle anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sleep disturbances, and burnout during COVID-19. •Sharing videos that provide general information about COVID-19, self-protection strategies, and mental well-being strategies (by doctors, nurses, and psychologists).	Yes	Yes
Qatar	February 27, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating educational material via social media outlets. •Sharing information about COVID-19 via mass text messages.	Yes	Yes
KSA	March 2, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating educational material targeting the general public via social media outlets, TV advertisements, and radio. These provide general information and statistics about COVID-19 as well as self-protection strategies.	Yes	Yes
Sudan	March 13, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating educational material that raises awareness and educates the general public about mental health during COVID-19 via social media outlets, TV, and radio (by mental health professionals). •Providing mental health services, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, by a group of organizations working in the field of mental health.	Yes	No
Syria	March 23, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating educational material via social media outlets. These tackle the general mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of spreading rumors on the psychological wellbeing, the relation between stress and outbreaks, and tips on mental well-being during quarantine (by the “Syrian Researchers” group and a private practice consultant in psychiatry).	No	No
Tunisia	March 2, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating educational material (pamphlets and awareness videos) via social media outlets (by early-career psychiatrists and the Ministry of Health). •Sharing information about COVID-19 via mass text messages.	Yes	Yes
UAE	January 1, 2020	Yes	•Disseminating educational material (pamphlets and brochures) about mental health in person and via social media outlets. These tackle the anxiety and panic reactions that are expected to arise during the COVID-19 pandemic. •Delivering online webinars targeting mental health during the pandemic, sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company. •Arranging video conference calls to provide mental health support by a dedicated team of psychologists. These are available 24/7 (UAE's VPS Healthcare Organization has joined hands with a Psycho-social rehabilitation center based in India to make this possible).	Yes	Yes