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Aljuhnie MA, Alharbi AS, Alharbi OF, Saati AA, Alshumrani FA, Alharbi AE, Hazazi RF, Alharbi MS, Shatla M. Attitudes and Stigma Toward Seeking Psychological Help Among the General Population of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Cureus 2024; 16:e55492. [PMID: 38571867 PMCID: PMC10989704 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.55492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and objective Depression and anxiety are among the most common mental health conditions globally, and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 25% of people worldwide suffer from them. Serious mental diseases can cause a great deal of suffering and incapacity, lowering people's quality of life. Stigma and unfavorable attitudes toward mental illness often discourage people from seeking psychological assistance and achieving recovery from mental problems. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the attitudes of the general population of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, toward seeking psychological help, and to determine the degree to which stigma prevents individuals from seeking help. Methods An online, self-administered survey was distributed via social media platforms among the general population of Makkah between September and December 2023. Males and females over the age of 18 years living in Makkah were included. The exclusion criteria were participants who declined to participate in the study or those who were below 18 years of age. Results A total of 495 eligible participants completed the study survey. Of them, 378 (76.4%) were female, and most (390, 78.8%) were Saudi Arabian nationals. A total of 341 (68.9%) participants had symptoms of anxiety, and 319 (64.4%) had symptoms of depression. Regarding unfavorable attitudes, the scores were significantly higher among participants over 40 years of age (1.81 ± 0.46; p<0.05) and those with relatively low levels of education (1.93 ± 0.65; p<0.05). As for stigma, the scores were significantly higher among male participants (2.38 ± 0.83; p<0.05) and those with low levels of education (2.54 ± 0.8; p<0.05). Conclusion A significant negative correlation between participants' attitudes toward seeking psychological help and stigma was observed. However, in contrast, the psychological symptom scores did not significantly correlate with the participants' attitudes. Stigma scores showed significant positive correlations with depression and overall symptom scores. This research showed that stigma has a significant impact on attitudes toward help-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A Aljuhnie
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU
| | - Abdullah S Alharbi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU
| | - Omar F Alharbi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU
| | - Asim A Saati
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU
| | - Fahad A Alshumrani
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU
| | - Abdullah E Alharbi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU
| | - Raghad F Hazazi
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU
| | - Mohammad S Alharbi
- Infectious Disease Control Department, Saudi Ministry of Health, Makkah, SAU
| | - Mokhtar Shatla
- Department of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health Care, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU
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Alluhaibi BA, Awadalla AW. Attitudes and stigma toward seeking psychological help among Saudi Adults. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:216. [PMID: 36109773 PMCID: PMC9479300 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00923-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), public attitudes and stigma toward mental health illness seem to prevent people from seeking psychological help, which negatively impacts an individual's life. The primary objective of this study was to investigate people's attitudes toward seeking psychological help and identify the extent to which the associated stigma is responsible for preventing them from seeking psychological help.
Methods
Two hundred eighteen adults recruited from the community living in the Eastern Province of the KSA completed the questionnaires, customized to create the Arabic version of Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF-A), the Arabic version of Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH-A), and the Arabic version of Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25-A).
Results
Both stigma and psychological distress significantly affected attitudes toward seeking professional help. Furthermore, it indicated that attitudes were negatively correlated with stigma while positively correlated with psychological distress. No significant difference in attitudes toward psychological help-seeking was identified between male and female participants. However, males displayed higher levels of stigma, while females showed greater psychological distress. Furthermore, the groups who received psychological treatment demonstrated more favorable attitudes toward seeking psychological help.
Conclusion
Stigma and psychological stress influence attitudes toward treatment-seeking behavior for mental illness, making them two major predictors responsible for the underutilization of mental health services. More research is needed to assess specific sociodemographic disparities across more data sources and the factors that further contribute to stigma and psychological distress.
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Aktan ME, Turhan Z, Dolu İ. Attitudes and perspectives towards the preferences for artificial intelligence in psychotherapy. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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