Prevalence and factors associated with mental health problems in Saudi general population during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis generates evidence of the prevalence and associated factors of common mental disorders (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) related to the pandemic among the Saudi general population. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was performed in the respective databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science), from 22 July to 17 August 2021, and identified a total of 220 articles. Adhering to the inclusion criteria (i.e., original research concerning the prevalence and/or associated factors of depression and/or anxiety and/or stress disorders among the general Saudi population, published in English peer-reviewed journals), 15 studies were included in this review which consisted of a total of 262,656 participants. The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 30% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22% to 38%, I 2 = 99.58%), 20% (95% CI: 16% to 24%, I 2 = 99.32%), and 29% (95% CI: 11% to 47%, I 2 = 99.76%), respectively. Risk factors of mental health problems were found to be female sex, younger age group, single/ divorced marital status, lower education, lower income, non-Saudis, unemployment status, students, being in a small family and living with elderly of the sociodemographic factors. Smokers, less physical activities, lower resilience, reduced immune status, chronic health problems, and psychiatric illness history were associated with a higher degree of mental health problems. In addition, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related risk factors of mental illness included lack of knowledge, fear, worry and concern, family member or friends' infection or death, lockdown restrictions, quarantine, confirmed or suspected of COVID-19 infection, and even pandemic effects. In conclusion, appropriate mental health preventive approaches for the Saudi general people are highly needed, where this review can be worthy of help by providing in detailed information to the respective authorities.

Food Safety Knowledge and Attitudes: A Cross-Sectional Study among Saudi Consumers from Food Trucks Owned by Productive Families

“…Aligning with findings from a previous study among food truck customers in the city of Curitiba, Brazil [ 32 ], the present study reported that more than half of the consumers of food from FTs were female. Unfortunately, this observation in line with the street food segment is considered not typical of the female sex.…”

“…Unfortunately, this observation in line with the street food segment is considered not typical of the female sex. The FTs promote eating as a cultural activity of leisure and fun that would be more attractive to males than females [ 32 ]. Studies that have reported more males than females as FTs consumers have indeed supported this justification [ 2 , 33 ], although on the contrary, globalization and women emancipation could be a better explanation for this study’s sex finding.…”

The Perception of Attitude as a Factor that Affect Professionalism among General Physicians of Primary Health Care Centers in Saudi Arabia

“…This observation indicates a trusted level of professionalism that is reassuring both to the medical profession in Saudi Arabia and patients. These results are also consistent with those of local and regional studies [21]. However, as noted in the introduction of this paper, professionalism is a multifaceted and complex concept that involves considerable interaction between physicians, patients, society, and regulatory bodies [4].…”

“…Medical Professionalism is a relatively recent concept that was coined some fifteen years ago [19]. It is a backbone of modern medical practice [20] and a determinant of medical institutions' competitiveness [21] with an established positive effect on clinical outcomes [8]. The findings of the current study illustrate high reported levels of professional behavior among the physicians surveyed.…”

Psychological Health and Diabetes Self-Management among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes during COVID-19 in the Southwest of Saudi Arabia

“…Diabetes mellitus is on the rise in developing countries, Saudi Arabia inclusive. It is estimated that by 2030, the prevalence of diabetes among those aged 20–79 years may increase to 7.7% [ 2 ]. According to the World Health Organization, the East Mediterranean region ranks second in the global diabetes prevalence.…”