ABSTRACT
Background:Mosques are the most holy places in the eyes of Allah-Exalted and Glorified, and the religious mosque leaders (Khateebs) who read 15-20 minutes Khutbah prior to Friday Prayers have great knowledge in religion of Islam and are considered the peace-building leaders through delivering the pertinent Friday sermons around the world.Objective:This online consenting cross-sectional survey explored the mental health awareness, perceptions, attitudes and practices of Khateebs of Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia.Methods:This survey used 14-items self-designed culturally competitive questionnaire and sociodemographic proforma to tap religious mosque leaders’ knowledge, perceptions, practices and attitude towards mental health. Results:Majority of mosque leaders were middle aged with higher education and extensive experience as a model of true interlocutor (Khateeb). Their knowledge and practices revealed were replete with religious and spiritual healing approaches but religious mosque leaders did not completely overlook the role of psychiatric medications and mental health professionals in the management of mentally ill persons. However, religious mosque leaders showed some negative attitudes towards patients with mental disorders, and recommended 10 corrective guides including integration of mosques and religious leaders into mental health system.Conclusion:Despite mosque leader’s good mental health literacy,they need further training to plug certain loopholes traced in their mental health literacy. Researchers should conduct further similar research overcoming the caveats of this survey not only in Saudi Arabia but also globally in Muslim world
ABSTRACT
Background: Mental health awareness surveys that assess the broad knowledge of various stakeholders including public nationwide help in the development of relevant strategies to enhance their poor mental health literacy. Objective:The aim of this telephone polling survey was to measure mental health awareness of general public in Saudi Arabia.Method:The participants (n=1068) randomly selected from 13 regions of Saudi Arabia were contacted by 15 trained Saudi girl interviewers for conducting 30-minutes individual interview in Arabic language using a self-designed 15-item questionnaire.Results:About one fourthof responders (23%) reported either personal or family member having mental disorder, and depression and anxiety disorders were the commonest problems. Stigmaagainst mental disorders and consulting health professionals, misperceptions towards psychotropics and social exclusion and shame were variably reported by the participants. Though the participants perceived barriers to have access to MH services, 55% ofresponders reported MH services were of good to excellent grade, and the two most common help-seeking modes were psychiatric and religious and spiritual service providers.Conclusion:Although this community participatory mental health polling survey is found to have encouraging mental health literacy of public participants, evidence based training programs and campaigns for further improving people mental health literacy are needed in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Arabian Gulf countries