Depressive disorders in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a literature review

OBJECTIVE: To determine the contributions from the six Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to the national scientific literature on depressive disorders. METHODS: This literature review identified all of the published studies on all major depressive disorders as cited on the PubMed® and APA PsycInfo® databases from inception to 31 December 2016 from the six GGC countries. Data were extracted using a standardized form. The study compared the volume of research production between the countries by calculating an index that allowed for the country population size. RESULTS: A total of 28 studies met the inclusion criteria. Saudi Arabia headed the list of publications (10 articles) followed by the United Arab Emirates (n = 6), Kuwait (n = 5), Qatar (n = 3); and Bahrain and Oman produced two articles each. Only six out of the 28 (21.4%) studies included a random sample or adopted good sampling strategies. The majority of studies (24 of 28; 85.7%) were cross-sectional in design. Only one study clearly stated the use of the DSM-4 criteria for diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The scientific literature published by the GCC countries on depressive disorders is scant and lacking scientific depth. These findings should be considered as a wake-up call for public health researchers, mental health workers and policymakers.