Doha Institute for Graduate Studies launched the first session of a longitudinal survey entitled: Qatari Social Attitudes and Well-Being, funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

The study is led by members of the teaching staff of Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, in cooperation with a number of local and international institutions such as Sidra Medicine and University of Canterbury.

This research is a three-year longitudinal national study that deals with social attitudes, personal values and health outcomes for Qatari citizens and residents of Qatar, Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Doha Institute Dr. Diala Hawi said.

Dr. Hawi said that through this project, we expect to learn how psychology is manifesting itself in Qatar, as we will go beyond mere descriptions and prevalence reports, by focusing on the nature and predictions of psychological issues, social attitudes and behavior.

Furthermore, Dr. Hawi said that the study aims to expand our knowledge about how and why people and their life circumstances change over time, as the research questions will address the personal, social, structural and environmental characteristics of the Qatari society, therefore, the importance of this study lies in the fact that these areas of research have not been studied extensively on this large national scale.

Assistant Professor of Social Psychology at Doha Institute Dr. Diala Hawi indicated that the results of this study will be used to identify areas that require immediate attention and intervention, and to implement successful mental health strategies, public policies and social interventions. She also explained that since the same individuals will be monitored over three years, the project will be able to track minor and rapid changes in trends and values over time and in response to life events.

The research tool used in this research will be a questionnaire that will be distributed to the largest number of citizens and residents in the State of Qatar who have completed eighteen years, in the hope of developing a better and representative picture of the social issues facing Qatar as a whole.

(QNA)