Doha - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
No. - Oct 2024
Not that I know of. There is a mass exodus in the summers of spouses and kids so if you stayed it might be lonely. There are lots of camps the younger kids can go to but not sure what teens would do. - Jun 2024
The heat gets old and when you return after getting away in the summer, it seems unbearable. Into October now though, we are seeing a bit of a breeze and the beautiful winter that awaits us will lift one's spirit. Sunny skies daily and Qatar does a great job of trying to keep what is green, green and offers as much color as it can within a desert environment. It is truly impressive and much more beautiful than some other desert areas/countries. - Oct 2023
COVID really wore on a lot of people. In the summer people tend to leave Doha due to the heat (even Qataris) but with COVID travel restrictions people couldn't leave. Add into the work never stopped, lots of morale issues in the Embassy. - Jul 2022
Oh yes. With the absolute lack of things to do here and need for a car to go anywhere, Doha can be extremely isolating and lonely. A lot of people, especially EFMs, will experience situational depression, from what I've seen. It's quite common, unfortunately. - May 2017
Doha has so many modern comforts--like food delivery of all kinds, paved roads, potable water, fast internet--but this can be an isolating place, and I've seen it take a toll on many expats psychologically. Qatari culture is not easy to break in to, and Qataris by and large are very private people. They are mostly polite in person, but will not likely welcome you into their homes. Not to mention the fact that they make up only 10% of the population. Moving here is not going to be a culturally immersive experience where you really get to bite in to the Middle East in the "Lawrence of Arabia"-type way. Instead what you'll find is a huge and diverse expat community and a ton of malls. Nice malls, but if you've seen one mall...
As a result the expat social scene is extremely alcohol-centric. Many people here develop drinking problems, because hanging out and drinking is one of the only things to do on the weekends. You could go to the museum or dune bashing or paddleboarding... if you haven't already done those things a million times. Or you could hang out with your friends and drink. Most times people choose the latter. - May 2017
