<p>A Survey on Public Attitudes Toward Mental Illness and Mental Health Services Among Four Cities in Saudi Arabia</p>

Abstract

Purpose Our objectives are to assess the public attitude toward mentally ill people and mental health services and to compare the attitudes of those who have past history of mental illness, those who have been exposed to mentally ill people, and those who have not. Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among subjects ( n =1268) in four Saudi Arabian cities (Riyadh, Abha, Dammam, and Jizan), recruiting participants from malls and parks. All participants were administered “the knowledge and attitudes toward mental illness and mental health services scale”. Results Participants were divided into three groups; non-exposed to mental illness group ( n =687, 54.1%), exposed to mental illness group ( n =305, 24%), and having past history of mental illness group ( n =276, 21.8%). Results revealed that non-exposed group had the lowest knowledge about mental illness ( p <0.001). Exposed group had the best attitude toward mentally ill people ( p =0.002), mental health services ( p < 0.001), the lowest impact of traditional beliefs ( p <0.001), and the best help-seeking decisions ( p = 0.001). Regression models show the variables that predicted attitude toward the mentally ill were the attitude toward mental health services ( p =0.001), impact of traditional beliefs ( p =0.001), and residency ( p =0.04). The predictors of attitude toward mental health services were impact of traditional beliefs ( p <0.001), knowledge ( p <0.001), and residency ( p =0.028). And the variables that account for predicting future decisions were impact of traditional beliefs ( p <0.001), attitude toward mental health services ( p =0.001), and having past history of mental illness ( p =0.006). Conclusion This study demonstrates significant differences in attitudes toward mental illness among different groups of participants. Lesser impact of traditional beliefs and better knowledge about mental illness were the factors most associated with better attitudes toward mentally ill people and mental health services and with better help-seeking behavior.

Public awareness, beliefs and attitude towards depressive disorders in Saudi Arabia

“…Limited understanding and erroneous beliefs on mental illness contribute to deep-rooted negative attitudes towards those with mental illness. 16,17 The current study demonstrated that 65.6% of participants had good general knowledge regarding depression in total, with the greatest knowledge observed in the area of depression symptoms. In contrast, awareness regarding the risk factors (12.5%) and treatment approaches (15.7%) for depression was low.…”

“…32 Factors associated with better attitudes toward individuals with psychiatric disorders, mental health services, and improved help-seeking behavior include a weaker effect of traditional beliefs and deeper knowledge on mental disorders. 17 Collectively, our findings underscore the need to improve education in the Saudi population regarding depression and increase awareness on the availability and benefits of health services. Our findings emphasize the need for public health initiatives to improve community understanding of depression, especially its causes, treatments, and approaches to care.…”

“…Limited understanding and erroneous beliefs on mental illness contribute to deep-rooted negative attitudes towards those with mental illness. 16 , 17 …”

The Compliance with Rehabilitation for People with Schizophrenia among Primary Caregivers in Nam Dinh Province, Vietnam

“…9,10 Due to limited understanding, some caregivers believed that schizophrenia was caused by ghosts, therefore, instead of complying with treatment and rehabilitation, the caregivers worshipped and tried to exorcise the evil, often making the impact of the disease to worsen. 6,27 This was a contributing factor to the challenges the caregivers faced in complying with rehabilitation for people with schizophrenia. The results were similar with previous studies related to caregivers' characteristics displayed by people with schizophrenia.…”

“…To ensure human rights, eliminate stigma and discrimination against individuals with schizophrenia and the effectiveness of community-based care for the people, they are encouraged to rehabilitate at home. 6 However, non-compliance is a common problem in schizophrenic rehabilitation. The reason was that the patient did not cooperate in the rehabilitation process, inconfidence in treatment at home and lack of support from caregivers.…”