Elshamy, Farah;
Hamadeh, Ayah;
Billings, Jo;
Alyafei, Aisha;
(2023)
Mental illness and help-seeking behaviours among Middle Eastern cultures: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative data.
PLoS ONE
, 18
(10)
, Article e0293525. 10.1371/journal.pone.0293525.
Preview |
Text
journal.pone.0293525.pdf - Published Version Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Background: Western literature has long explored help-seeking behaviours related to mental health issues. However, this has been relatively neglected in the Middle East despite an increase in mental health needs in the region. The purpose of this review was to conduct a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis exploring help-seeking behaviours related to mental health issues in the Middle East. // Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-synthesis to gain a comprehensive overview of what is known about mental health and help-seeking behaviours in the Middle East from published qualitative research in the Middle Eastern region. A search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and QScience) was carried out from inception to July 2022. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool, and the review protocol was pre-registered with PROSPERO (Ref: CRD42022311494). // Results: We identified 16 qualitative studies exploring mental health-seeking behaviours in Middle East countries. Facilitators and barriers to help-seeking were captured under six overarching themes. Across all studies, we identified negative attitudes towards seeking help for mental health issues, economic and structural barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and misconceptions surrounding religious beliefs, all of which had a critical role in impacting decisions to seek mental healthcare services. Many sought help from alternative sources, such as traditional healers or family members before consulting a healthcare professional. The role of the family and cultural norms was also identified as key contributors to people’s help-seeking behaviours. // Conclusions: This meta-synthesis indicates the existence of many challenges surrounding mental health-seeking in the Middle East, including public and internalizing stigmas. This suggests an urgent need for an increase in psychoeducation and mental health awareness in the region.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Mental illness and help-seeking behaviours among Middle Eastern cultures: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative data |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0293525 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293525 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2023 Elshamy et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Division of Psychiatry UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Division of Psychiatry > Epidemiology and Applied Clinical Research |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10181870 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
