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Workers need help to deal with stress

Dr Anjali Chabria, a psychiatrist and psycho-therapist, who attended a group discussion in Dubai on Sunday, said she intends to initiate talks with the Indian missions in the UAE to assist the labourers.

Dr Chabria, known for her robust corporate and Bollywood clientele in India, told Khaleej Times yesterday, “I would like to help labourers deal with the issues and the pressures they face. Besides, many are also faced with loneliness as they are away from their families. I plan to meet with the Indian missions here so that they could help me out.”

The psychiatrist said that a study is needed to assess the kind of pressures the labourers face and how they are presently tackling them.

“We need to set up a team with the help of the consulate and hand out simple questionnaires and assessment sheets. This will help us understand what their concerns are and the support facilities here. We also need to set up peer counsellors, which will give a better understanding of the nature of their issues,” she added.

She also observed that Kerala should be used as a model to create awareness among labourers before they decide to take up jobs in the UAE.

Dr Chabria, who addressed more than 50 parents of children studying in Indian schools, noted that there was “paranoia among several mothers to send their daughters alone even to a nearby pharmacy.”

She said, “I advised them to make their daughters more independent and capable. They should teach them simple skills to deal with themselves and others rather than encouraging dependency. Dependence could harbour on over-protection.”

Parents, she said, also spoke on how children as young as nine were demanding to carry mobile phones with them.

“Even in India, this is an issue. However, I feel that children much younger here are asking for mobiles. Their brand awareness seems to be extremely high as they go to malls every weekend with their parents,” she said.

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