Parental Support, Beliefs about Mental Illness, and Mental Help-Seeking among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia

Mahsoon, Alaa; Sharif, Loujain; Banakhar, Maram; Alasmee, Nofaa; Almowallad, Esraa; Jabali, Razan; Bahamil, Amjad; Assur, Sara

doi:10.3390/ijerph17155615

Cited by 14 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Students were observed to have significantly fewer stereotypical beliefs about mental illness and its subscales. Consistent with our findings, variations were observed in various studies as negative opinions were seen in young adults despite having a positive attitude toward help-seeking behaviors in mental illnesses [ 25 ]. Unlike our finding, a previous study showed that undergraduate students had positive attitudes related to mental illness [ 26 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Labeled As Mentally Ill: Community Perspective Toward Mental Illness in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Firdos¹,

Amanullah²,

Mobarki³

2021

Cureus

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BackgroundCommunities hold different opinions toward mentally ill people and treat them negatively, irrespective of their behavior. Differences in beliefs can impact not only affected individuals but the entire network and opportunities. This study aimed to examine beliefs about mental illness among different populations of the Saudi community. MethodologyThis descriptive study was conducted among 840 participants from several groups (different family roles, professions, medical and non-medical students, educated and uneducated, etc.) aged 18-75 years in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Information regarding participants' demographics and beliefs toward mental illness was collected through validated measures. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). ResultsData analysis showed that individuals over the age of 30 years believed that mental illness is socially dysfunctional, incurable, and a subject of embarrassment. Married couples also considered mental illness to be socially dysfunctional and a subject of embarrassment. Similarly, unemployed participants had more negative views of mental illness than working individuals and students. Furthermore, educators and other professionals believed that mental illness is more socially dysfunctional than healthcare providers. In addition, community groups with a history of mental illness stated that mental illness is incurable. In the family context, grandparents' beliefs toward mental illness were more negative than other family members' views. ConclusionsThis study highlights the diversity in beliefs about mental illness among different groups of Arab society. The influence of poor knowledge, religious beliefs, and subjective attitudes should be explored further, and anti-stigma interventions should be implemented to increase community awareness about mental illness.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Labeled As Mentally Ill: Community Perspective Toward Mental Illness in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Firdos¹,

Amanullah²,

Mobarki³

2021

Cureus

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“…Although many individuals with mental illnesses are willing to work, they often face discrimination from the general population [ 25 ]. In 2020, a Saudi study conducted among young adults showed that 40% of participants had a moderately negative attitude toward the ability of people with mental illness to make friends, to be parents, or to be a trustworthy team member [ 26 ]. Ina study conducted in the UK, it was found that people with mental disorders are up to 40% less likely to find a job compared to other disability groups [ 27 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and Attitude of Pharmacy Students toward People with Mental Illnesses and Help-Seeking: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia

Alsahali

2021

Pharmacy

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People with mental illnesses (MIs) face several challenges in addition to their disease. People’s negative views of those with MIs impact patients’ decisions to seek professional help. The aims of this study were to assess pharmacy students’ attitudes toward people with MIs and seeking help for mental health, as well as their knowledge about the causes of MIs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on pharmacy students at Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Out of the 460 distributed questionnaires, 330 complete questionnaires were received, giving a response rate of 71.7%. Overall, the mean total score for attitude towards people with MIs was 60.16 ± 10.48 (maximum attainable score: 105). In this study, 51.12% believed that people with MIs are more likely to harm others than a person without MIs and 66.9% mentioned that they did not trust the work of a mentally ill person as part of their work team. However, only 35.45% believed that it is difficult for mentally ill individuals to follow social rules. In terms of attitudes toward help-seeking, the mean total score of was 12.83 ± 3.16 out of the maximum score of 25. In addition, the mean total score for knowledge about causes of mental illness was 2.92 ± 1.76 out of the maximum score of 8. The participants reported that MIs could be due to genetic inheritance (56%), substance abuse (54.5%), or brain disease (66.1%). The findings showed that there are some negative attitudes toward people with MIs and negative attitudes towards seeking help for mental health. In addition, some misconceptions about the causes of MIs are prevalent. Consequently, the incorporation of more topics concerning mental health in pharmacy curricula could help improve the awareness of and knowledge about mental health.

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“…The findings of our study also pose a unique area for future research within the Arab context to decrease public stigma, which may not translate cross-culturally [ 27 ]. School educational programs and social media campaigns are among some of the suggested techniques to spread awareness and reduce public stigma towards those with mental disorders [ 28 ]. Furthermore, this study pointed out the significant factors affecting mental health assistance, suggesting that nurses could contribute to raising awareness and facilitating help-seeking in their own community.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Help-Seeking among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study

Noorwali

Almotairy

Akhder

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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While young Saudi adults are reportedly prone to experiencing a variety of mental health problems, they tend to delay seeking mental health support. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators of seeking mental health support among young adults in Saudi Arabia. A qualitative research design was implemented using semi-structured interviews with 12 young adult participants in Saudi Arabia, recruited through social media platforms, and the interviews were then analyzed using thematic analysis. Two major themes emerged: barriers that impede the process of mental health help-seeking and facilitators that assist individuals in seeking mental health support. The barriers included public stigma and lack of awareness, unprofessional mental health practitioners, lack of accessibility to services and information, unsupportive families, intrapersonal dilemmas, and misconceptions based on religious beliefs. Facilitators of help-seeking included increasing societal and family awareness, promoting the accessibility of services, enhancing sources of external support, personal motivation to change, and online therapy. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of promoting mental health literacy among the Saudi public, particularly with regard to young adults and their unique mental health needs. Exploring facilitators and barriers may also assist mental health providers in developing tailored mental health campaigns and interventions directed at young adults.

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Parental Support, Beliefs about Mental Illness, and Mental Help-Seeking among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia

Cited by 14 publications

References 34 publications

Labeled As Mentally Ill: Community Perspective Toward Mental Illness in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Labeled As Mentally Ill: Community Perspective Toward Mental Illness in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Knowledge and Attitude of Pharmacy Students toward People with Mental Illnesses and Help-Seeking: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia

Barriers and Facilitators to Mental Health Help-Seeking among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study

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