Treatment of mental disorders and pathways to care in Arab countries

Abstract

Introduction. The available studies on the treatment of mental disorders in the Arab world are uncommon. Methods. A literature review was conducted aiming at identifying studies related to the rate and type of treatment of mental disorders in Arab countries from the Middle Eastern Mediterranean region. Results. A total of 23 articles were included in this review. These articles focused mainly on type of services used and/ or the rate of treatment. Findings from several articles showed a paucity of treatment of mental disorders, and when present, individuals were more likely to receive it from the general medical than from the mental health sector. Only two studies have assessed patterns of treatment of mental disorders on a national level from the Arab Middle Eastern countries (Lebanon and Iraq). Conclusion. The need for national studies on mental disorders in this part of the world and the improvement of public awareness in this field were highlighted.

Key Words::

• Mental disorders
• treatment
• type of services
• Arab countries

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr Elie Karam from the Institute for Development Research Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC, www.idraac.org) for reviewing the manuscript and the doctor of Pharmacy candidates in 2005, Maya Helbaoui and Mazen Sharafeddine, for their help in searching the literature using the search engines and retrieving the relevant articles.

Statement of interest

None to declare.