Health services utilization by school going Omani adolescents and youths with DSM IV mental disorders and barriers to service use

The lived experience of Omani adolescents and young adults with mental illness: A qualitative study

There is currently limited knowledge about the firsthand experiences of adolescents and young adults with mental health problems and the meanings they ascribe to these experiences, particularly within Arab countries. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the lived experience of Omani adolescents and young adults with a mental health problem. A sample of 15 participants aged 13-22 diagnosed with a range of mental health problems took part in the study. A qualitative interview guide consisting of open-ended questions was used to allow participants to speak in-depth about their experiences. Using the thematic analysis approach to uncover patterns in the data, three major themes emerged: "living in darkness", "perilous journey" and "uncertain future". Results show that the progress of adolescents and young adults with mental health problems is characterized by several challenges; the most significant of which is having insufficient knowledge about their illness, leading to unnecessary delays in their treatment. These findings shed light on the breadth and depth of the experience of adolescents and young adults with mental health problems and lay the groundwork for further examinations. Implications lie in the development of approaches for preventing or mitigating difficulties faced by adolescents and young adults with mental health problems.

Exploring Hikikomori-like idiom of distress a year into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Oman: Factorial validity of the 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire, prevalence and associated factors

BACKGROUND

Existing literature that examines the Hikikomori-like idiom of distress (HLID) initially labelled this phenomenon as a culture-bound syndrome. However, the increasing number of reports from other parts of the world suggest that HLID could instead be a culture-reactive idiom of distress, originating from biopsychosocial disequilibrium and cultural upheaval. The impact of imposed social withdrawal due to the Coronavirus 2 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on the growing prevalence of HLID has not yet been adequately explored. Aims: The first objective is to examine the factorial validity of the 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire (HQ-25) in Oman. Second, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of HLID following the lifting of SARS-COV-2 restrictions in the Arabian Gulf country of Oman. The third related objective is to examine factors associated with the variation of HLID.

METHODS

This cross-sectional online survey was widely distributed across the diverse socio-demographic population residing in Oman. After the validation of the questionnaire and the factorial validity, the Arabic version of HQ-25 was used to explore the prevalence and factors associated with HLID.

RESULTS

A total of 1529 participants were included in the study (response rate = 76.5%), of whom 44% (n = 673) expressed HLID. We randomly split it into half, one for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 764) and the other half for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 765). From the EFA results, a three-factor model was found for the Omani version of HQ-25, which represented 52.87% of the variance with good internal reliability (Overall Cronbach's: 0.92; Socialisation: 0.92; Isolation: 0.84; Emotional support: 0.73). The CFA results report acceptable goodness-of-fit indices (χ2/df = 17.92, p < .001; CFI = 0.90; TLI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.04, 95% CI 0.02-0.07; SRMR = 0.05) of the three-factor model of the collected samples. All 1529 data were used in the respondents. The results of the logistic regression showed that married marital status (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.12-2.03, p = 0.007), older age (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95-0.99, p = 0.008), living in an urban area (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56-0.91, p = 0.006), unemployed occupational status (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.30-2.88, p < .001), screen time (7+ hours vs. <4 hours: OR = 4.50, 95% CI: 3.16-6.41, p < .001; 4-7 hours vs. <4 hours: OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.61-2.70, p < .001), history of mental illness (OR = 3.70, 95% CI: 2.29-5.91, p < .001), and adverse childhood experiences (OR = 2.60, 95% CI: 2.03-3.20, p < .001) were significant risk factors for HLID.

CONCLUSION

The factorial validity of the HQ-25 performed in this study appears to mirror the previously reported 3-factor structures. Some of the associated factors appear to support and, conversely, dissent from the findings of previous studies. These are discussed in terms of the attributions of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, demographic trends in Oman, and sociocultural factors specific to the region of interest.

Lifetime prevalence and treatment of mental disorders in Saudi youth and adolescents

Previous global and regional studies indicate that adolescents and young adults (i.e., youth) are affected by various mental disorders with lifelong consequences. However, there are no national estimates of mental disorders prevalent among Saudi youth. Using data from the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS), we examined the lifetime prevalence, treatment, and socio-demographic correlates of mental disorders among Saudi youth (aged 15-30). A total of 4004 interviews were conducted using the adapted Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). Cross tabulations and logistic regression were used to generate estimates for the SNMHS youth sample (n = 1881). The prevalence of a mental disorder among Saudi youth was 40.10%, where anxiety disorders affected 26.84% of the sample, followed by disruptive behavior disorders (15.44%), mood disorders (9.67%), substance use disorders (4%) and eating disorders (7.06%). Sex, education, parental education, income, marital status, region, and family history of disorders were significant correlates of various classes of mental disorders. Only 14.47% of Saudi youth with any mental disorder received treatment for a lifetime disorder. Age, parental education, and family history of disorders emerged as significant correlates of mental health treatment. Lifetime mental disorders are highly prevalent among Saudi youth. There is an unmet need for culturally sensitive and age-appropriate treatment of lifetime mental disorders among youth in Saudi Arabia.

Barriers to help-seeking in Israeli Arab minority adolescents with mental health problems: results from the Galilee study

BACKGROUND

The Galilee Study assessed mental health service needs among Israeli Muslim and Druze adolescents and their mothers. Studies show that mothers of adolescents belonging to the Arab minority have much lower help-seeking rates than Jewish mothers. This paper examines mothers' structural and cultural barriers to help-seeking.

METHODS

All 9th grade students living in 5 towns representative of Muslim and Druze localities in northern Israel, were eligible for the study and 1639 (69.3%) obtained parental agreement and participated. Emotional or behavioral problem were assessed in the classroom using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. A total of 704 adolescent-mother dyads participated in the follow-up, and were interviewed at home, using the Development and Well Being Assessment inventory, the Composite Barriers to Help-Seeking Questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire - 12, the Subjective Feelings of Discrimination Index and socio-demographic questions. Pearson χ2 test and multivariate binary logistic regressions were performed to analyze mothers' consultation rates by risk factors. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to identify underlying factors and assess construct validity of the Composite Barriers to Help-Seeking Questionnaire, and also mean scores and standard deviations for the distinct scales were calculated.

RESULTS

More mothers of adolescents with a mental disorder than those without a mental disorder consulted a professional or school source (39.7% vs. 20.5%; χ2 = 45.636; p = < 0.001). The most important barriers to help-seeking were those related to "Accessibility", followed by barriers related to the belief that "Treatment is detrimental" and to the possibility of "Reprisal by authorities". Barriers related to "Stigma" and "Distrust of professionals" had the lowest means scores. Differences by ethnicity/religion were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Structural barriers related to lack of access, were considered the main obstacle to help-seeking in this Israeli Arab minority population. Cultural barriers such as stigma were considered of secondary importance. Structural barriers could be reduced by increasing the number of accessible public mental health clinics in the minority localities, a responsibility of the Ministry of Health and the HMOs. Information campaigns and psychoeducation for parents would help reduce other barriers to mental health treatment.

The Attribution of Mental Health Problems to Jinn: An Explorative Study in a Transcultural Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic

BACKGROUND

Among Muslim patients, a common cultural concept of distress is the notion that jinn may be the cause of mental health problems, especially in the presence of hallucinations.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the frequency with which this attribution style is manifest in a specific psychiatric outpatient population with a Muslim background.

METHODS

Of all patients registered at an outpatient clinic specialized in transcultural psychiatry, data were collected on folk belief, religion, hallucinations (if present), and medical diagnosis. Through a search in the electronic medical files, the notes made during the first contact and first psychiatric examination were screened for the keywords "evil eye," "magic," "voodoo," and "jinn." In addition, new eligible cases were accepted.

RESULTS

From all 551 patients thus screened, 118 were eligible for participation. Of these, 49 (41.5%) were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Among them, 21 (43%) were positive that their psychiatric symptoms were caused by jinn, whereas 13 (27%) thought not, and 15 (31%) were in doubt. No less than 87.2% had experienced hallucinations during their lives. Among the relatively large proportion of eligible patients who did not participate (58.5%), many expressed a fear for stigmatization or metaphysical repercussions if they spoke about jinn.

CONCLUSION

The phenomenon of attributing mental health symptoms to jinn was much more common in this population of Muslim patients than previously assumed. This underscores the need for proper knowledge of Muslim explanatory models of disease and for the use of culturally sensitive interviewing techniques in this population.

Proposed model for the cultural adaptation of an Internet-based depression prevention intervention (CATCH-IT) for Arab adolescents

Background Evidence-based Internet depression prevention intervention programs are not readily available for Arab youth, but may be effective in this group. Cultural adaptation of evidence-based Western psychotherapy is an important step toward better prevention and treatment of depressive illness in the Arab community. Project CATCH-IT is an Internet-based depression prevention intervention tool that is tailored for adolescents and young adults. Methods The PEN-3 theoretical framework was used for the cultural adaptation of Project CATCH-IT for Arab adolescents. First, a narrative review of existing research about depression in Arab nations was performed. Next, expert opinions about applicability and societal values were obtained. This model was then used to suggest relevant changes to the CATCH-IT modules. These modifications were applied to create sample webpages from the culturally adapted version of CATCH-IT for Arab youth. Results The narrative review, expert opinions and resultant PEN-3 analysis suggest that Internet-based depression interventions are effective, private and confidential. To be most effective, religious leaders and fathers should be the stakeholders approached for dissemination and adequate usage of the service. Arab themes, quotes, language and relevant stories must be incorporated. Conclusion This study sets the background for future studies and research for implementation of the Arabic version of CATCH-IT for the prevention of depression. Using the contextual information provided in this paper to make the necessary changes, huge strides can be made in providing cost-effective and accessible Internet-based interventions to Arab youth.

Health concerns of adolescents in Tehran, Iran

BACKGROUND

Adolescent health concerns are an important source of information that should be considered when planning school and community health promotion policies, programs and services. Adolescence is a critical period of human development and the health concerns of adolescents can point to important issues that may be eclipsed by epidemiologic and other clinical sources of information. This study aimed to assess the health concerns of adolescents living in Tehran, Iran and to examine associations between selected demographics and the health concerns reported by participants.

METHODS

This study was a population-based cross-sectional survey in 2011. Data were collected from a stratified random cluster sample of 915 adolescents, aged 14-18 years, living in Tehran, using the Persian version of the Adolescent Health Concern Inventory (AHCI-P). The data were analyzed using the χ2, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The mean numbers of health concerns in girls and boys were 48 (±27.6) and 44.5 (±27.4) respectively. The highest ranking health concern subscale for both girls and boys was The Future, and "being successful" was endorsed as the most prominent concern in the subscale. Female (OR: 1.42, CI 95%: 1.08-1.87), mother's educational level (OR: 2.23, CI 95%: 1.07-4.65) and living in northern (OR: 1.76, CI 95%: 1.13-2.74) and western (OR: 2.02, CI 95%: 1.30-3.16) regions of Tehran were significant predictors of a higher level of health concerns.

CONCLUSION

Findings can be used to inform school and public health promotion policies, programs and supportive services designed to improve the overall health and well-being of adolescents.

Profile of Mental and Behavioral Disorders Among Preschoolers in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman: A Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVES

Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of mental and behavioral disorders in preschoolers is critical for a better prognosis, ultimately leading to improved quality of life for both the child and the family. Our study investigated the clinical profile of mental and behavioral disorders in children < 7 years of age, seeking consultation at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, between 1 June 2006 and 31 December 2010. The objective was to explore demographic variables, intervention types, and annual trends.

METHODS

This retrospective, descriptive study was conducted by reviewing the electronic records of preschoolers seeking consultation on mental and behavioral disorders at the Department of Behavioral Medicine. The diagnosis was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria.

RESULTS

The total number of cases was 466, the majority (77.9%) being boys. The cumulative frequencies and annual hospital-based prevalence rates were estimated for each category of mental and behavioral disorders. Our findings showed increased service utilization among preschoolers, as reflected in the annual trend and case-specific prevalence rates. While comorbidity was common, the most frequent disorders encountered were attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (70.8%), developmental language disorder (23.6%), autism spectrum disorders (20.2%), and disruptive behavior disorders (11.6%). The most commonly prescribed drugs/supplementation were risperidone (18.7%), atomoxetine (9.7%), omega-3 (8.8%), and methylphenidate (6.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Consultations for mental and behavioral disorders are being sought for Omani preschoolers. Beside pharmacotherapy, other interventions, which are an integral part of a much desired multidisciplinary approach should be introduced. Readdressing the missing needs is essential for a comprehensive approach to managing mental and behavioral disorders.

Psychiatric disorders among adolescents from Lebanon: prevalence, correlates, and treatment gap

PURPOSE

Adolescence is a critical age for the development of psychiatric disorders. Although Lebanon, a low-to-middle income country, has suffered from decades of war and political instability, the burden of psychiatric disorders among adolescents in Lebanon remains unclear. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adolescents in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and to study the correlates and treatment seeking behavior associated with these disorders.

METHODS

Through a multistage cluster sampling design, 510 adolescents, aged 11-17 years were recruited from a household sample in Beirut in 2012. Parents and adolescents completed a battery of self-reported questionnaires and interviews including the Development and Well-being Assessment (DAWBA), the Peer-Relations Questionnaire (PRQ), and a demographic/clinical information questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to study the correlates of psychiatric disorders.

RESULTS

The 30-day prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 26.1 %, with anxiety disorders (13.1 %) and ADHD (10.2 %) being the most prevalent disorders. Only 6 % of those with disorders reported seeking professional help. Parental marital status, not attending school, having a chronic medical condition, having a family history of psychiatric disorders, as well as propensity to bullying and to being victimized by peers emerged as correlates of having psychiatric disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

A clear treatment gap is evident with a high 30-day prevalence of psychiatric disorders among adolescents in Beirut coupled with a very low percentage seeking treatment. Scaling up mental health services and addressing potential barriers to seeking care would be important to close this gap.

Mental Health Beliefs Amongst Emirati Female College Students

Recent epidemiological data from Arabian Gulf nations suggest that mental health problems such as depression and anxiety have a relatively high prevalence, particularly amongst women. However, despite the widespread morbidity, treatment seeking for mental health problems is low. Mental health beliefs amongst female Emirati college students were explored. A questionnaire exploring perceptions about the causes, consequences and best forms of intervention for mental health problems was administered to 70 participants. Data revealed that social and environmental factors were given the most weight in terms of etiology. Social stigma was the most frequently identified barrier to help seeking. Religious practices were commonly reported as an approach to cope with mental health problems and to maintain good psychological health. Most participants reported willingness to seek help from a healthcare professional. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for improving the quality and accessibility of mental health services in the gulf region.

Prevalence of depression and anxiety among patients with epilepsy attending the epilepsy clinic at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, UAE: A cross-sectional study

Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in patients with epilepsy (PWE), with prevalence rates ranging from 20% to 55%. Unfortunately, the rates, patterns, and risk factors have not been well studied in the Middle East and, to our knowledge, have not been studied at all in the UAE. We screened 186 patients attending an epilepsy clinic using standardized screening tools to determine the rates of both depression and anxiety and compared these rates with that of age- and sex-matched controls. Almost one-third of our patients scored in the depression and anxiety ranges, which was significantly higher compared with the age- and sex-matched controls. Using a multiregression model, none of the studied variables were associated with an increased risk of having either disorder. Depression or anxiety symptoms independently and significantly increased the risk of association with the other disorder. Almost two-thirds of patients with depression and anxiety were not prescribed antidepressant or antianxiety medications.

The attribution of psychotic symptoms to jinn in Islamic patients

Patients with an Islamic background who suffer from hallucinations or other psychotic symptoms may attribute these experiences to jinn (i.e., invisible spirits). In this paper, we review the medical literature on jinn as an explanatory model in the context of psychotic disorders. We conducted a systematic search for papers on jinn and psychosis in Pubmed, EMBASE, Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar databases. Our search yielded 105 scientific texts on jinn and their relationship with mental disorders, including 47 case reports. Among the case reports a definite biomedical diagnosis was provided in 66% of the cases, of which 45.2% involved a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Fully 10 of 16 hallucinating patients experienced multimodal hallucinations. Although infrequently documented in the biomedical literature, the attribution of psychiatric symptoms to jinn appears to be quite common among Islamic patients, and to have significant impact on the diagnosis, treatment, and course of mental disorders, particularly psychotic disorders.

Predictors of Counseling Center Use Among College Students in the United Arab Emirates

College students’ decision to seek counseling is impacted by many factors such as demographic and psychological variables. This study investigated the differences between counseled (40 men and 120 women) and noncounseled (98 men and 111 women) college students from the United Arab Emirates using 3 measures of distress and a number of demographic variables (i.e., gender, marital status, residence, nationality, area of study, and grade point average). The counseled group reported more health concerns, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and psychological distress when compared with the noncounseled. Women reported more psychological distress than men. Discriminant analysis revealed that the most important predictors of whether a student would seek counseling were measures of general health, psychological distress, depression and anxiety, area of study, and gender, in that order. Of the noncounseled students, the majority claimed to be in need of counseling. Findings were discussed within the context of Emirati culture. Findings suggested that seeking psychological help may be stigmatized in Arab culture.

Clinical and Demographic Profile of Attendees at Baghdad's Walk-in Psychiatric Clinic

OBJECTIVE

Few studies have examined clinical and demographic profile of attendees of a walk-in psychiatric clinic in countries ravaged by wars. The aim of this study is to quantify the characteristics of attendees of an open walk-in psychiatric clinic in a general hospital in Baghdad and the suburb towns of Iraq in the year 2010.

METHODS

As part of a retrospective survey, information on specific variables (socio-demographic background, clinical characteristics and attendance rate) were sought from medical records in the year 2010 (January to December).

RESULTS

Despite the shortcomings expected from a country coming out of the ravage of war, the survey included 2,979 attendees (1,864 [63%] males and 1,115 [37%] females) of a walk-in psychiatric clinic who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The profile of attendees indicated that a majority of the cohort was self-referred with a predominance of employed males, aged 19 to 49 years, residing in Baghdad City. Depression and psychosis were the most common diagnosis given.

CONCLUSION

The observed patterns are discussed within the available literature relevant to consultation liaison psychiatry, and specific to situations in Iraq and Arab/Islamic cultural patterning.

The prevalence of depression and associated factors in Ethiopia: findings from the National Health Survey

BACKGROUND

Integrating mental health into primarily health care and studying risk for mental health particularly depression needs assessment of different factors including those that impede diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. But so far the numbers of literature for local context to analyze risk factors for depression and its treatment are scare. The objective of this study was to assess risk factors and health service attendance for depression among adults, in Ethiopia.

METHODS

For this analysis, data from the Ethiopian National health survey was used. The Ethiopian national health survey studied 4,925 adults aged 18 years and older to obtain among other things, data on depression episodes, socio-demographic, chronic diseases, life style factors and treatment receiving for depression episodes in the past twelve months using questionnaire from world health organization (WHO). Prevalence of Depression in respondents based on ICD-10 criteria was estimated and logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for depression and treatment receiving.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depressive episode was 9.1% (95% CI: 8.39-9.90). In a Univariate analysis, residence, age, marital status, educational status, number of diagnosed chronic non communicable diseases (heart diseases, diabetic mellitus and arthritis) and alcohol drinking status were associated with depression. After full adjustment for possible confounding, odds ratios for depression were significantly higher only for older age, divorced and widowed, number of diagnosed chronic non communicable diseases and alcohol drinking status. The proportion of attending health service among those with depression episodes was 22.9%. After full control for all socio-demographic variables the only predictor variable was educational status, being in grade 5-8 had a higher odds (OR=2.6, 95% CI: 1.23-5.43) and 9-12 grade (OR=1.8 95% CI: 1.45-6.12) of attending service for depressive episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

Age, marital status, number of diagnosed chronic non communicable diseases and alcohol consumption were the most important risk factors for depressive episodes. Generally there was lower use of health service for depressive episodes and low educational status was found to be barriers for service use. There is a need to formulate policy for mental health and training of primary health care workers in mental health to early identify and treat cases with depression episodes, so as to decrease prevalence of depression episodes and to improve accessibility of service use.

Characteristics of subjects with comorbidity of symptoms of generalized anxiety and major depressive disorders and the corresponding threshold and subthreshold conditions in an Arab general population sample

BACKGROUND

There is controversy about differential meaningfulness between comorbid generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)/ major depressive disorder (MDD), the corresponding "pure" disorders and subthreshold conditions. We compared subjects who met DSM-IVTR criteria of symptoms and functional impairment for comorbid GAD/MDD, versus those with GAD, MDD, subthreshold conditions, and without significant symptoms. The comparison measures were socio-demographics, clinical severity, and quality of life (QOL).

MATERIAL/METHOD

Participants (N=3155: 55.1% female, aged 16-87 yrs) were a general population sample of Kuwaitis who self-completed DSM-IVTR criteria-based questionnaires and the WHOQOL-BREF in 2006/7. We scrutinized the questionnaires and classified them into categories.

RESULTS

Of the 273 GAD and 210 MDD cases, the prevalence of comorbidity among cases with GAD was 30.8%, and 40% among MDD. Of the 398 subthreshold GAD and 194 subthreshold MDD cases, 58 had subthreshold anxiety/depression comorbidity. Comorbid threshold GAD/MDD cases were significantly older, and more likely to be women, divorced and unemployed, compared with GAD and MDD. In all measures, the threshold GAD/MDD comorbidity was the severest condition. There was a monotonic decrease in QOL with increasing anxiety-depression symptoms. For the predictors of subjective QOL, the GAD/MDD comorbidity group differed markedly from the others.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of comorbidity and subthreshold conditions supports the recommendation to assess them routinely, regardless of the primary reason for consultation. Our findings support a dimensional model with comorbid GAD/MDD at the higher end of a continuum, and differing from the "pure" conditions by a later onset and predictors of subjective wellbeing.

Two-phase survey to determine social anxiety and gender differences in Omani adolescents

INTRODUCTION

There is a lack of studies examining the effectiveness of some of the commonly used instruments to elicit the presence of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in Arab-speaking populations, such as those in Oman. The aim of this study was to establish the influence of social anxiety and the role of gender among Omani adolescents.

METHODS

A two-phase protocol was used, entailing the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) against the gold standard, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

RESULTS

According to DSM and LSAS, the prevalence of social phobia among Omani students was generally higher compared to what has been reported in other parts of the world and the crosstabs analysis showed a significant correlation between gender and SAD.

DISCUSSION

The Arabic version of LSAS proved to be an effective tool for assessing and quantifying the presence of SAD. This study discusses the sociocultural factors affecting social phobia in Omani society.

Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of Patients attending Psychotherapy in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Oman

OBJECTIVES

There is significant evidence that psychotherapy is a pivotal treatment for persons diagnosed with Axis I clinical psychiatric conditions; however, a psychotherapy service has only recently been established in the Omani health care system. This study aimed to investigate the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of attendees at a psychotherapy clinic at a tertiary care hospital.

METHODS

An analysis was carried out of 133 new referrals to the Psychotherapy Service at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, a tertiary care hospital.

RESULTS

The majority of referrals were females (59%), aged 18-34 years, employed (38%), had ≤12 years of formal education (51%), and were single (54%). A total of 43% were treated for anxiety disorders (including obsessive compulsive disorder), while 22% were treated for depression. A total of 65% were prescribed psychotropic medications. The utilisation of the Psychotherapy Service and its user characteristics are discussed within the context of a culturally diverse Omani community which has unique personal belief systems such as in supernatural powers (Jinn), contemptuous envy (Hassad), evil eye (Ain) and sorcery (Sihr) which are often used to explain the aetiology of mental illness and influence personal decisions on utilising medical and psychological treatments.

CONCLUSION

Despite the low number of referrals to the Psychotherapy Service, there is reason to believe that psychotherapy would be an essential tool to come to grips with the increasing number of mental disorders in Oman.