In under two years since its launch, SAKINA has transformed mental health care across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, based on its key strategic pillars: awareness & prevention; access to clinical care; rehabilitation, and functional recovery. This presentation, titled “Equity in Action: Sakina’s Digital Frontiers in Global Mental Health,” will highlight SAKINA’s digital infrastructure and flagship solutions designed to build a comprehensive digital ecosystem to address mental health care gaps in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
This presentation will shed light on key digital innovation initiatives aimed at enhancing brain health and cognitive care.
At the center of our Digital strategy is PURA, a personalized digital mental health platform that offers tiered support: self-help tools based on CBT and mindfulness, access to professional consultations, guided exercises, and psychoeducational content. PURA is designed with scalability and inclusivity in mind, serving youth, caregivers, and working adults with culturally adapted, multilingual content.
iMIND is a study evaluating the effectiveness of home-based biofeedback training—using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and neurofeedback on cognitive function in older adults experiencing early cognitive decline.
RESIDUAL is a digital phenotyping study designed to detect residual symptoms in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). By analyzing behavioral and app-derived data, the system aims to provide early warnings of relapse risk.
HiPAL, a gamified, user-friendly cognitive screening tool designed for early detection of cognitive decline. Delivered via mobile app, HiPAL makes routine cognitive checks engaging and accessible for both older adults and their caregivers.
Network-wide electronic medical record system: Malaffi and Salamtak serve as a foundational digital infrastructure, enhancing Sakina’s ability to deliver integrated, timely, and data-driven mental health solutions across the healthcare system
By linking with Malaffi, (Abu Dhabi’s pioneering Health Information Exchange (HIE) securely connecting over 2,700 public and private healthcare facilities, aggregating clinical data into a unified, longitudinal health record) and Salamtak (Cerner electronic medical record (EMR) system), Sakina’s services gain seamless access to comprehensive patient data, empowering early identification and personalized intervention, and The UAE’s Controlled Medicine Portal (commonly known as NPCM) strengthens patient safety, supports responsible prescribing, bolsters national public health, and enhances convenience.
Care Coordination across disciplines: EMR-based Screening prompts and Referral nudges embedded in Salamtak ensure patients with anxiety, depression, or cognitive decline get guided care pathways and follow-up support, in routine chronic disease follow-up visits. that guide physicians to appropriate services when red flags appear.
Together, these initiatives represent a cohesive, tech-enabled strategy for advancing mental health across diverse populations, with a strong focus on prevention, early detection, and sustained recovery.
A major focus will be the Digital Wellness Clinic dedicated to patients with Technology-Related
Disorders (TRD), such as screen addiction, gaming disorder, and social media overuse. The clinic delivers structured digital detox plans, family-based interventions, behavioral therapy, and digital hygiene education, leveraging telehealth and app-based tools.
