Mental health research in the Arab region: challenges and call for action

Affiliations


Abstract

Although mental disorders are a leading cause of disability in the Arab region, which includes 5·54% of the global population, Arab countries produce only 1·0% of the global output of peer-reviewed publications in mental health research. Various stakeholders, including Arab mental health researchers, institutional and funding agency officials, and international research collaborators, convened to identify challenges faced by Arab mental health researchers and propose an evidence-informed call for action. Challenges identified include prevalent stigma and low awareness, conflict and war, scarce institutional and funding resources, inadequate publishing opportunities, insufficient training in mental health research, and shortage of reliable and valid assessment tools. The proposed action plan includes ways of addressing stigma and spreading awareness, increasing collaborative efforts, building research infrastructure, strengthening the mental health workforce, and translating research findings into a call to action on societal and governmental levels. The proposed action plan could provide a roadmap for Arab mental health researchers and research institutions, which might ultimately increase research productivity in the Arab region and close the gap between Arab countries and the rest of the world.


Similar articles

The Arab Region's Contribution to Global Mental Health Research (2009-2018): A Bibliometric Analysis.

Zeinoun P, Akl EA, Maalouf FT, Meho LI.Front Psychiatry. 2020 Mar 19;11:182. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00182. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32265754 Free PMC article.

Mental health research in the Arab world.

Jaalouk D, Okasha A, Salamoun MM, Karam EG.Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012 Nov;47(11):1727-31. doi: 10.1007/s00127-012-0487-8. Epub 2012 Mar 3.PMID: 22388974

Nursing research in the Arab Region: A bibliometric analysis.

Dardas LA, Sawair FA, Nabolsi M, Simmons LA.Int J Nurs Pract. 2019 Jun;25(3):e12716. doi: 10.1111/ijn.12716. Epub 2018 Dec 19.PMID: 30567010

The stigma of mental illness in Arab families: a concept analysis.

Dardas LA, Simmons LA.J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2015 Nov;22(9):668-79. doi: 10.1111/jpm.12237. Epub 2015 Jun 29.PMID: 26118332

Stigma associated with mental illness and its treatment in the Arab culture: A systematic review.

Zolezzi M, Alamri M, Shaar S, Rainkie D.Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2018 Sep;64(6):597-609. doi: 10.1177/0020764018789200. Epub 2018 Jul 18.PMID: 30019976 Review.


Cited by

Psychometric properties of an Arabic translation of the brief version of the difficulty in emotion regulation scale (DERS-16).

Fekih-Romdhane F, Kanj G, Obeid S, Hallit S.BMC Psychol. 2023 Mar 15;11(1):72. doi: 10.1186/s40359-023-01117-2.PMID: 36922893 Free PMC article.

Geographic, Socio-Demographic and School Type Variation in Adolescent Wellbeing and Mental Health and Links with Academic Competence in the United Arab Emirates.

Marquez J, Lambert L, Cutts M.Child Indic Res. 2023;16(2):797-836. doi: 10.1007/s12187-022-09993-7. Epub 2022 Nov 23.PMID: 36465521 Free PMC article.

Prevalence and Determinants of Mental Health Problems and Mental Health Stigma Among Medical Students of Different Nationalities in Qatar.

Mahgoub Y, Daher-Nashif S, Al-Shebly R, Wali HS, Khan A, Almarkhi A, Al-Motawa M, AlObaidan G, Al-Muhannadi Z.Adv Med Educ Pract. 2022 Aug 24;13:969-979. doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S371053. eCollection 2022.PMID: 36046600 Free PMC article.

The culturally and contextually sensitive assessment of mental health using a structured diagnostic interview (MINI Kid) for Syrian refugee children and adolescents in Lebanon: Challenges and solutions.

Kyrillos V, Bosqui T, Moghames P, Chehade N, Saad S, Abdul Rahman D, Karam E, Karam G, Saab D, Pluess M, McEwen FS.Transcult Psychiatry. 2023 Feb;60(1):125-141. doi: 10.1177/13634615221105114. Epub 2022 Jul 12.PMID: 35818837 Free PMC article.


References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/