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Dr Yasmine Al-Tuwaijri, Visiting Harvard University School of Medicine and Head of Epidemiology Research Department, Specialized Hospital and King Faisal Research Center, says: Mental health disorders are one of the main globally prevalent public health problems that affect society, as its impact extends to all ages from both sexes, and at different socio-economic and cultural levels. The global economic costs of mental disorders have been estimated at $ 2.5 trillion, according to data from the World Health Organization, which prioritized mental health in 2019.
Al-Tuwaijri added that the results of the survey, which came to light in late 2019, showed that around 34% of Saudis meet the criteria for diagnosing mental health disorders at some point in their lives. Specifically, two in five young Saudis meet the criteria for diagnosing mental health disorders at some point in their lives. These statistics are similar to statistics from European countries like France and the Netherlands, and less than those from New Zealand and the United States of America. The results also showed that only about 13% of Saudis seek treatment for their mental health issues within a year of their life. In fact, 80% of Saudis diagnosed with serious mental disorders do not seek treatment. We are working to investigate the causes of low treatment uptake, which may be due to lack of awareness, barriers to treatment or stigma. The results also showed that cases of mental health disorders affect the more educated Saudis compared to the less educated. This is not surprising, since many of these educated people are young men and constitute the majority of the Saudi population. These findings confirm the need for future research that specifically targets and builds on this finding, given that the young population represents a vital resource in all countries.
The Department of Health said, “Separation anxiety disorder” is most common among men and women in the Kingdom, and it tops the list for both sexes, followed by “obsessive-compulsive disorder” , emphasizing that mental health disorders are one of the main global public health problems It affects society, as its impact extends to all ages of both sexes, and to various social, economic and cultural levels .
Responding to Al-Madina’s questions about the results of the National Health Survey, she said: This is an attempt to determine the prevalence of mental disorders in the Kingdom, which was conducted by the King Salman Center for Disability Research and launched the Saudi National Mental Health Survey in 2010 as part of the Global Health Survey initiative. Psychiatric Association of the World Health Organization and Harvard University, which has been conducted in over 33 countries to date.
Health pointed out that the national program aims to become familiar with all aspects of mental health in the Kingdom by answering questions targeted to Saudi society (Who are the people most vulnerable to infection in the Kingdom? the most common mental disorders? What are the best ways to provide mental health services in the Kingdom? The burden that mental disorders place on Saudi society?)
The National Mental Health Program has been supported by many organizations, such as King Faisal Specialized Hospital and Research Center, Ministry of Health, King Saud University, in addition to the General Authority of statistics, and the project was supported by multiple grants from SABIC, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and Abraaj Society.
It is noteworthy that Al-Madina asked about the accuracy of the percentage that Dr Yasmine Al-Tuwaijri spoke about, in which she said: 34% (1-3) of Saudis went through psychological states in during the stages of their life.
However, the clarification of the “ministry” avoided confirming or denying the validity of this percentage of mental cases recorded in the national health survey.
The results of the recently conducted National Survey on Mental Illness and Stress in Life found that young people make up 40% of the total number of people with mental health problems and illnesses in the Kingdom, and that 95 % of people diagnosed with mental illnesses did not receive treatment, and the survey also showed that separation anxiety disorder is the number one mental disorder. Women are 13% and men 11%. The survey also showed that the more educated citizens are more likely to suffer from mental illness than the less educated, while the specialists indicated that there was a need to increase financial allocations for medical research and to focus on means of protect young people.
The survey was conducted by the King Salman Center for Disability Research with support from SABIC and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. A number of leading scientific organizations, both internationally and locally, participated in this survey, including the World Health Organization, Harvard and Michigan universities in the United States, and Toronto, in Canada. King Faisal Specialty Hospital, King Saud University, in addition to the General Statistics Authority. The Kingdom is one of the thirty countries in the world to have completed this survey under the aegis of the World Health Organization and it encompassed almost all of the administrative regions of the Kingdom.
The most common psychological condition in women
Cases of separation anxiety disorder
Major depressive disorder
social phobia
Attention deficit (hyperactivity disorder)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
The prevalence of psychological cases of both sexes
Separation anxiety disorder
Attention deficit (hyperactivity disorder)
social phobia
Bipolar disorder
Intermittent explosive disorder.
34% suffer from disorders
Dr Yasmine Al-Tuwaijri, Visiting Harvard University School of Medicine and Head of Epidemiology Research Department, Specialized Hospital and King Faisal Research Center, says: Mental health disorders are one of the main globally prevalent public health problems that affect society, as its impact extends to all ages from both sexes, and at different socio-economic and cultural levels. The global economic costs of mental disorders have been estimated at $ 2.5 trillion, according to data from the World Health Organization, which prioritized mental health in 2019.
Al-Tuwaijri added that the survey’s results, which came to light in late 2019, showed that around 34% of Saudis meet the criteria for diagnosing mental health disorders at some point in their lives. Specifically, two in five young Saudis meet the criteria for diagnosing mental health disorders at some point in their lives. These statistics are similar to those of European countries like France and the Netherlands, and less than those of New Zealand and the United States of America.
The results also showed that only about 13% of Saudis seek treatment for their mental health issues within a year of their life. In fact, 80% of Saudis diagnosed with serious mental disorders do not seek treatment. We are working to investigate the causes of low treatment uptake, which may be due to lack of awareness, barriers to treatment, or stigma. The results also showed that cases of mental health disorders affect the more educated Saudis compared to the less educated. This is not surprising, since many of these educated people are young men and constitute the majority of the Saudi population. These findings confirm the need for future research that specifically targets and builds on this finding, given that the young population represents a vital resource in all countries.
“Separation anxiety” in mind
Al-Twaijer confirms that according to the survey, the most common psychological condition among women in the Kingdom is separation anxiety disorder with a rate of 13.0% and the second major depressive disorder with a rate of 8.9 %, social phobia in third place with 7% and attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder in fourth place with a percentage of 13.0%. 4.9% obsessive-compulsive disorder, then fifth. The results of the national survey also showed that the most common psychological condition among men in the Kingdom is 11.0% Separation Anxiety Disorder, 10.0% Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, 0%, social phobia with 4.3% and bipolar disorder with 4.0%. And then in fifth place intermittent explosive disorder with a rate of 3.8%.
Dr Al-Tuwaijri hopes the results of the survey will open a dialogue on mental health, raise awareness and be an educational resource that will improve understanding of the mental health conditions prevalent among Saudis, and help fight stigma, which is the feeling of shame in society, not only in the Kingdom, but also, in the whole region, it confirms that the importance of this project lies in providing doctors and decision-makers in the field of health, d ‘a vision to provide relevant preventive, curative and rehabilitative services in the Kingdom, indicating that there is a strong link between mental and physical health.
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