Twelve‐month treatment of mental disorders in the Saudi National Mental Health Survey

OBJECTIVES: To estimate treatment rates of 12‐month mental disorders in the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS). METHODS: The SNMHS is a face‐to‐face community epidemiological survey in a nationally representative household sample of citizens ages 15–65 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (n = 4,004). The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to produce estimates of 12‐month prevalence and treatment of common DSM‐IV mental disorders. RESULTS: About one eighth (13.7%) of respondents with a 12‐month DSM‐IV/CIDI disorder received 12‐month treatment. The highest proportion of treatment occurred in the general medical sector (53.0%). Close to half (45.2%) of patients received treatment rated at least minimally adequate using standard treatment guidelines. Although serious disorders were significantly more likely to be treated (20.2%) than mild or moderate disorders (8.5–10.7%), no association was found between disorder severity and probability of receiving adequate treatment. Sociodemographic correlates were for the most part nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: A high level of unmet need for treatment of mental disorders exists in KSA. Further analyses of the SNMHS data might provide insights into modifiable barriers to treatment and policy options to address the problem of unmet need for treatment.