Abstract
Mental health literacy (MHL) has been relatively neglected, despite the increase of mental health illnesses worldwide, as well as within the Middle East region. A low level of MHL may hinder public acceptance of evidence-based mental health care. This systematic review aims to identify and appraise existing research, focusing on MHL among adults in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, and Medline) was carried out from database inception to July 2019, in order to identify peer-reviewed journal articles that investigated MHL in the GCC countries. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were: cross-sectional studies, reported in English, targeted adults (aged 18 and above), conducted in any of the GCC countries, include at least one outcome measure of the main components of MHL: knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatment, stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illnesses, and seeking help for self and offering help. A total of 27 studies (16,391 participants) were included. The outcome across studies varied due to disparity in the tested populations. Findings show that limited MHL was observed among participants, even health care professionals. Results also show a high cumulative level of stigma and negative attitude towards mental health illness in the public. Negative beliefs and inappropriate practices are common, as well. The majority of studies yielded a moderate to high risk of bias. This work indicates that research on MHL must be tackled through well-designed large-scale studies of the public. Campaigns to promote early identification and treatment of mental illness is also encouraged to improve overall level of MHL in the general population of the GCC region. Registration number: PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018104492.
Highlights
Mental health literacy (MHL) was first defined by Jorm AF as “knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management, or prevention” [1]
Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were: cross-sectional studies, reported in English, targeted adults, conducted in any of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, include at least one outcome measure of the main components of MHL: knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatment, stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illnesses, and seeking help for self and offering help
Almost all included studies in this review revealed an average level of MHL, with some studies showing lower levels than 50% of participants who could not recognize some common mental disorders
Summary
Mental health literacy (MHL) was first defined by Jorm AF as “knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management, or prevention” [1]. There is a large body of evidence emphasizing the positive association between adverse health outcomes and low MHL [4]; these problems are considered a global public health challenge, and are more common in young adults vs other age groups. Such a challenge could be tackled early through the creation of a community with a high level of MHL [5, 6]. A low level of MHL may hinder public acceptance of evidence-based mental health care
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