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Finding mental health support in Qatar
Where to turn in Qatar when you or someone you love is struggling: the free national helpline, your health centre, Hamad and Sidra specialist services, licensed private therapists, insurance, work, and what to do in a crisis.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- In danger now
- Call 999 or go to the nearest emergency department
- Free helpline
- 16000, option 4: daytime, closed Fridays (check hours on hamad.qa)
- Public route
- PHCC family doctor, then referral to psychology or psychiatry
- Private therapy
- Often about QAR 500 to 800 a session; check the therapist's MOPH licence
Many people in Qatar go through anxiety, low mood, stress, grief or loneliness, especially in the first year away from family. Asking for help is normal, and there is more support here than most newcomers realise. The quickest free starting point is the National Mental Health Helpline on 16000 (option 4), run by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and staffed by mental health professionals. You can also talk to a family doctor at your Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) health centre, who can refer you to psychology or psychiatry clinics. Children and teenagers are seen by specialist teams at Sidra Medicine and HMC, and licensed private psychologists and psychiatrists are another option if your insurance or budget allows. This guide explains each route, how to check that a private therapist is licensed, what is confidential, and what to do if someone is in danger right now.
Before you start
- Your QID (Qatar ID) and active public health registration, needed for PHCC and HMC appointments
- Your insurance card and policy's table of benefits, if you have private cover through your employer
- A few notes about what you are going through: how long it has lasted, sleep, appetite, work, and anything that makes it better or worse
- A list of any medicines you take now or took before, including from your home country, with doses
- Previous reports or letters from a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist, if you have them (an English or Arabic copy helps)
- For a child: school reports or notes from the school counsellor or teacher, and the child's QID
- The name of someone you trust who can come with you or be contacted, if you would like support
- Emergency numbers saved in your phone: 999 for emergencies and 16000 for the helpline
Step by step
If someone is in danger, call 999
If you or someone else may act on thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or is at risk of hurting someone, treat it as an emergency. Call 999 for an ambulance or police, or go straight to the nearest emergency department. HMC's psychiatry teams work with the emergency departments at its main hospitals, including Hamad General, Al Wakra, Al Khor, Hazm Mebaireek and Aisha Bint Hamad Al Attiyah, to assess people in crisis. For a child or teenager, Sidra Medicine advises bringing them to its emergency department. Stay with the person if it is safe, remove anything they could use to hurt themselves, and do not wait for the helpline to open.
Read guide: Emergencies in Qatar: who to call and where to go →Call the National Mental Health Helpline
Dial 16000, choose your language, then press 4 for mental health. The helpline is free and confidential, and it is answered by mental health nurses, psychologists and psychiatrists. They listen, assess what you need and can arrange the next step: quick access to talking therapy, an appointment with a psychiatry or psychology clinic, advice for family members, or medicine questions answered by the pharmacy team. HMC's April 2026 announcement gives the hours as 8am to 6pm, Saturday to Thursday, while its service page says Sunday to Thursday, so check hamad.qa before calling on a Saturday. In 2025 the helpline answered more than 19,000 calls, so you are far from alone in calling.
Or talk to your PHCC family doctor
If you prefer to see someone face to face, book an appointment with a family physician at your PHCC health centre (call 107 or use the Nar'aakom app). You do not need a referral to see a family doctor, and you can say plainly that you want to talk about your mental health. The doctor will ask some questions, may check things like thyroid or vitamin levels that can affect mood, and can start treatment or refer you on. This is also the route most PHCC and HMC clinics expect, because many of them accept patients only through a doctor's referral. Your public health registration must be active for PHCC services.
Read guide: Get your health card (now linked to your QID) →Know the PHCC mental health clinics
PHCC runs Support Clinics, where psychologists help adults (18 and over) with mild to moderate anxiety and depression using talking therapies. They are at Rawdat Al Khail, Al Thumama, Leabaib, Qatar University and Al Wajbah health centres. For moderate to severe conditions, the Integrated Psychiatry Service brings HMC consultant psychiatrists into Al Thumama, Qatar University, Umm Slal and Al Wajbah health centres, working with PHCC psychologists, social workers and nurses. PHCC also has a memory clinic for dementia. All of these need a referral from a PHCC physician, so you cannot book them directly. In October 2026 HMC and PHCC said there are now 28 integrated mental health clinics and services in health centres, so ask your doctor which one is nearest.
Understand HMC's specialist services
HMC's Mental Health Service is Qatar's main specialist provider. It runs outpatient clinics for adults, older adults, perinatal (pregnancy and after birth), learning disability and psychology, plus community mental health teams who can support people at home. Inpatient care for adults is at Mesaieed General Hospital, with a women's wellness unit at Bayt Al Dhiyafa. You usually reach these services through a referral from the helpline, a PHCC or private doctor, or an emergency department. For workers, Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital in the Industrial Area has psychiatry clinics and has had psychiatrists who speak several South Asian languages. If language is a barrier, ask for an interpreter when you book.
Get help for a child or teenager
For worries linked to school, start with the school counsellor or psychologist, as Sidra Medicine recommends. If more help is needed, Sidra's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) sees children aged about 5 to 18 for problems such as anxiety, depression and self-harm, with assessment, therapy, family therapy and medicine. Referrals come from doctors (PHCC, private clinics), schools and other professionals, so ask your child's doctor or school to refer. HMC also has a CAMHS service. Children under 5 with developmental concerns are usually seen by other Sidra teams, and young people move to adult services at 18. In an emergency, take the child to the Sidra emergency department or call 999.
Read guide: Choosing a school in Qatar: curricula, fees and admission →Ask for help in pregnancy and after birth
Low mood, anxiety and intrusive thoughts during pregnancy or in the first year after birth are common and treatable. Tell your midwife, obstetrician or PHCC doctor how you feel; you will not be judged. Sidra Medicine and HMC both run perinatal mental health services, and HMC's women's mental health support (through the helpline) covers crisis support, grief, medicines and breastfeeding, and hormonal changes, in Arabic and English. Partners can call 16000 too if they are worried.
Read guide: Having a baby in Qatar: antenatal care, hospitals and costs →Choose a private psychologist or psychiatrist
Private clinics and hospitals in Doha have psychiatrists (medical doctors who can diagnose and prescribe), clinical psychologists and psychological counsellors (who provide talking therapy). Private care usually means shorter waits and more choice of language, approach and gender of therapist, but you pay more. You normally do not need a referral. Before booking, ask about the therapist's qualifications and licence, languages, the type of therapy they use, session length and fee, cancellation rules, and whether the clinic bills your insurer directly. Online therapy from abroad is possible, but a therapist outside Qatar is not licensed here and cannot prescribe medicines you can fill in Qatar.
Check the licence on the MOPH register
Anyone practising as a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, psychological counsellor or clinical social worker in Qatar must be licensed by the Ministry of Public Health's Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP). Search the free register at dhp.moph.gov.qa by name, licence number or place of work. Psychiatrists are listed under Physician; psychologists and counsellors under Allied Health Practitioner. Search the register yourself rather than relying on a certificate or screenshot. Titles such as 'life coach' or 'therapist' on their own do not mean the person is licensed to treat mental illness.
Check your insurance and the costs
The helpline is free, and PHCC and HMC services are available to residents with an active health registration; ask the clinic about any fees when you book. Private insurance through employers varies a lot: some policies cover psychiatry and a set number of therapy sessions, others exclude mental health or need a doctor's referral or insurer approval first. Look for 'psychiatry', 'mental health' or 'psychological' in your table of benefits, or call your insurer. If you pay first, keep invoices and the referral letter to claim back. Without cover, private sessions in Doha often cost around QAR 500 to 800, so ask about fees before you start.
Read guide: Health insurance in Qatar: what residents and visitors need →Use support at work, and protect your privacy
Some employers offer an employee assistance programme (free, confidential counselling), wellbeing days or cover through company insurance; ask HR what exists without needing to explain why. If you are too unwell to work, a doctor can give you a sick-leave certificate, and you can ask what it will say before it is issued. Your clinical details are confidential between you and your care team. If work stress comes from unpaid wages, excessive hours or mistreatment, that is also a labour issue, and you can get help from the Ministry of Labour.
Read guide: Filing a labour complaint in Qatar: unpaid salary and other disputes →Keep going with treatment
Treatment often takes a few weeks to help, so keep appointments and do not stop medicines suddenly without talking to your doctor. Some psychiatric medicines are controlled in Qatar, so bring prescriptions and doctor's letters if you carry medicines from abroad. If a service is not working for you, it is fine to ask for a different therapist or a second opinion. Small steps help too: regular sleep, daylight and movement, staying in touch with family, and joining community groups or clubs so you are not alone.
Read guide: Bringing medicines into Qatar: controlled drugs and the MOPH e-permit →
What it costs
| National Mental Health Helpline (16000, option 4) | Free |
| HMC ambulance in an emergency (999) | Free |
| Private therapy session, 45 to 50 minutes (typical range, Expatica 2025) | QAR 500 to 800 |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for the helpline to open when someone is in immediate danger; call 999 or go to an emergency department instead
- Trying to book a PHCC Support Clinic or psychiatry clinic directly; they need a referral from a PHCC physician first
- Choosing a private 'therapist' or 'life coach' without checking the MOPH licence register
- Assuming your insurance covers therapy, or assuming it does not; read the table of benefits or ask the insurer before you start
- Stopping antidepressants or other medicines suddenly when you feel better, or when you travel
- Bringing psychiatric medicines into Qatar without a prescription and doctor's letter
- Letting an expired health registration delay care; renew it so PHCC and HMC appointments are not blocked
Questions people ask
Is the 16000 mental health helpline really confidential, and can I call anonymously?
HMC describes the helpline as fully confidential and open to anyone, whatever their age or nationality. You can call just to talk and get advice. If the team books you into a clinic, they will need your details and QID, as for any hospital appointment.
Will my employer or sponsor find out if I see a psychiatrist?
Your medical records are confidential between you and your care team. If you use company insurance, the insurer sees claim details but HR normally does not see your diagnosis; ask HR or the insurer how claims are handled. If you need sick leave, you can ask the doctor what the certificate will say before it is issued.
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist?
For public services, yes in most cases: PHCC Support Clinics and Integrated Psychiatry Service clinics need a referral from a PHCC physician, and HMC clinics usually come through the helpline, a doctor or an emergency department. You can see a PHCC family doctor without a referral. Private psychologists usually do not need a referral, though your insurer may ask for one before it pays.
Does health insurance in Qatar cover therapy?
It depends on your policy. Some employer policies cover psychiatry and a limited number of therapy sessions, others exclude mental health or need prior approval. Check your table of benefits for psychiatry or mental health, and ask the clinic whether it bills your insurer directly.
How long is the wait for public mental health services?
It varies by service and urgency. The helpline can arrange rapid access to talking therapy, and MOPH's mental health site says referred patients are usually seen within about two weeks, but some clinics are busier. If things get worse while you wait, call 16000 again or go to an emergency department.
My teenager is struggling. Where do we start?
Talk to the school counsellor first and book your child's doctor, who can refer to Sidra Medicine's CAMHS or HMC's child and adolescent service. You can also call 16000 for advice as a parent. If your child has hurt themselves or talks about suicide, take them to the Sidra emergency department or call 999.
Can I get help in my own language?
The helpline asks you to choose a language at the start, and HMC's women's service is available in Arabic and English. HMC has said its psychiatrists at Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital speak several South Asian languages, and private clinics often list the languages their therapists speak. Ask for an interpreter when booking if you need one.
What can I do if I feel like harming myself and it is late at night?
Call 999 or go to the nearest emergency department straight away; they are open 24 hours and can call a psychiatry team. If you can, tell someone near you and stay with them. You do not need to wait for the helpline to open.
Official sources
- HMC: National Mental Health Helpline marks six years (April 2026) ↗
- HMC Mental Health Service ↗
- PHCC: Support Clinics (psychology service) ↗
- MOPH DHP: search licensed practitioners ↗
- Sidra Medicine: child and adolescent mental health FAQs ↗
- Qatar Tribune: HMC and PHCC community mental health services (October 2026) ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.