International Journal of Health and Allied Sciences
Stark contrast in prevalence and correlates of mental disorder in the Arabic and Indian populations.
Abstract
The Indian and Saudi Arabian (a prototypical Arab nation) national mental health surveys were compared. In comparison to Saudi Arabia, India had a 2.5-fold lower lifetime prevalence of mental illnesses, a 3.8-fold lower current prevalence, and a 7-fold lower prevalence of serious mental disorders. All mental disorders, except drug use disorder, were less common in India. Being over 40 years old and having a better education level had a greater rate of mental illness in India; conversely, being a woman increases the risk of mental illness in Saudi Arabia, particularly anxiety and eating disorders. Besides substance abuse disorders, the treatment gap for mental illnesses is larger in Saudi Arabia. Overall, the comparison suggests a contrasting difference in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders, and their demographic correlation varies between the Indian and Saudi Arabian populations. There is a need to understand as to why such discrepancies exist.
Recommended Citation
Ram, Dushad; Alammar, Muath A; Mathew, Akash; and Alharbi, Hathim Yousef
(2023)
"Stark contrast in prevalence and correlates of mental disorder in the Arabic and Indian populations.,"
International Journal of Health and Allied Sciences: Vol. 12:
Iss.
1, Article 2.
DOI: 10.55691/2278-344X.1063
Available at:
https://rescon.jssuni.edu.in/ijhas/vol12/iss1/2