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
ABSTRACT
ANTECEDENTES: La evidencia muestra que uno de los factores fuertemente asociado con la postergación de la actividad sexual, es la afiliación o membrecía a religiones judeo-cristianas, con códigos estrictos de conductas. OBJETIVO: analizar la asociación entre religiosidad y comportamientos sexuales en adolescentes. MÉTODO: Estudio transversal analítico en una población adolescente. Se compararon adolescentes católicas, evangélicas y sin religión. Se analizó la asociación entre afiliación y asistencia a servicios religiosos y edad de inicio de la actividad sexual, uso de condón y número de parejas sexuales. RESULTADOS: Se entrevistaron 5.231 adolescentes (mediana de edad 16 años, 91,6% mujeres, 97,3% estudiantes). Las adolescentes que se declaran evangélicas, dejan de asistir a los servicios religiosos en mayor proporción que las adolescentes católicas al iniciar actividad sexual. La afiliación religiosa, sea católica o evangélica, retarda el inicio de la actividad sexual y disminuye el riesgo de tener más de una pareja sexual, comparadas con aquellas sin religión. Pero la afiliación religiosa, sea católica o evangélica, aumenta la posibilidad del no uso de condón, en comparación con aquellas sin religión. CONCLUSIÓN: La afiliación religiosa influye en los comportamientos sexuales en adolescentes, disminuyendo el riesgo en el inicio sexual y en el número de parejas sexuales, aumenta la posibilidad del no uso de condón pero no influye en el uso de anticonceptivos orales.
BACKGROUND: Evidence shows that one of the factors associated with the postponement of sexual activity is membership or affiliation to Judeo-Christian religions, with strict codes of behavior. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between religiosity and sexual behaviors in adolescents. METHOD: Analytical cross-sectional study conducted in a population of adolescents. Were compared catholic, evangelical and without religion. Association between affiliation and assistance religious services and age sexual initiation, condom use and number of sexual partners were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 5.231 adolescents (median age 16 years, 91.6% female, 97.3% students,), were interviewed. Adolescents who declare to be evangelicals cease to attend religious services in greater proportion than Catholic adolescents when initiating sexual activity. Religious affiliation, whether Catholic or evangelical, delay the onset of sexual activity and decreases the risk of having more than one sexual partner, compared with those without religion, but religious affiliation, whether Catholic or evangelical, increases the risk of non-use of condoms, compared to those without religion. CONCLUSION: Religious affiliation influences sexual behaviors in adolescents, decreasing the risk in the age of sexual debut and in the number of sexual partners but increasing the risk in the non-use of the condom but does not influence the pill use.