Challenges associated with mental health management: Barriers and consequences
Open accessAbstract
INTRODUCTION: Mental illness has become a global public health issue and according to WHO report in 2015, United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded the highest level of depression among all countries at Eastern Mediterranean Region. Many people frequently suffer from mental health diseases but tend not to obtain help. Treatment delay can become life-threatening. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the barriers to seeking professional help for mental illness and the consequences of untreated mental health disorders. The study also aimed to examine outcomes in patients when help was provided by health care providers. METHODS: A self-administrated survey was distributed among 377 people randomly selected from general population of three different cities at United Arab Emirates (UAE): Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Their perception of the barriers, consequences and outcomes was analyzed to achieve the objectives of the study. RESULTS: Overall, 341 participants completed the survey. Wrong thought regarding mental disorders (60.1%) and being ashamed (58.9%) were identified to be the most common and significant barriers (P < 0.001) that prevent people from obtaining healthcare providers' assistance. The majority of responders reported building confidence (78.9%) and improvement in relationships (73.0%) as outcomes for taking professional help in mental illness. Moreover, many individuals believed that untreated mental illness could lead to problems with family and friends (69.2%) as well as to suicidal thoughts (56.3%). CONCLUSION: This research gives some insights regarding the challenges associated with mental diseases management in the UAE. Majority of responders had a negative perception of mental health service due to a lack of awareness regarding treatment effectiveness for mental disorders.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Personal attitudes hinder treatment uptake, with individuals often assuming that they can solve the problem themselves, that it will disappear by itself, or that treatment will not work.
“Personal attitudes also hinder treatment uptake, with individuals often assuming that they can 'solve the problem' themselves, that it will disappear by itself, or that the treatment will not work (Ibrahim et al., 2020;Mahmoud & Saravanan, 2020).”
From An internet‐based cognitive behavioural intervention for adults with depression in Arabic‐speaking countries: A randomized controlled trial. (2024) · cites this paper as Ibrahim et al., 2020
Table 3 in Results lists wanting to solve problems themselves (54.3%) and thinking the problem will go away by itself (60.1%) as barriers to seeking professional help. The paper’s conclusion mentions a negative perception of mental health services and lack of awareness of treatment effectiveness, but the passages do not identify a belief that treatment will not work as a help-seeking barrier. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Gulliver, A., Griffiths, K. M., & Christensen, H. (2010) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/1471-244x-10-113 · Cited by 3,292 · see citing works
Estimating the true global burden of mental illness
Vigo, D., Thornicroft, G., & Atun, R. (2016) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(15)00505-2 · Cited by 2,494 · see citing works
Mental illness stigma: Concepts, consequences, and initiatives to reduce stigma
Rüsch, N., Angermeyer, M. C., & Corrigan, P. W. (2005) · European Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2005.04.004 · Cited by 1,658 · see citing works
Toward a new definition of mental health
Galderisi, S., Heinz, A., Kastrup, M. C., Beezhold, J. N., & Sartorius, N. (2015) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.20231 · Cited by 952 · see citing works
Challenges and opportunities in global mental health: a research-to-practice perspective
Wainberg, M. L., Scorza, P., Shultz, J. M., Helpman, L., Mootz, J. J., Johnson, K. A., Neria, Y., Bradford, J.-M. E., Oquendo, M. A., & Arbuckle, M. R. (2017) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-017-0780-z · Cited by 875 · see citing works
Salaheddin, K., & Mason, B. (2016) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/bjgp16x687313 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
Richardson, T. H., Elliott, P., Roberts, R. E., & Jansen, M. (2016) · Community Mental Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10597-016-0052-0 · Cited by 314 · see citing works
Evolving definitions of mental illness and wellness.
Manderscheid, R. W., Ryff, C. D., Freeman, E., McKnight-Eily, L. R., Dhingra, S. S., & Strine, T. W. (2010) · PubMed Central · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Manolakis, P. G., & Skelton, J. B. (2010) · American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education · doi:10.5688/aj7410s7 · Cited by 236 · see citing works
The Burden of Mental Disorders in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990-2013
Charara, R. N., Forouzanfar, M. H., Naghavi, M., Moradi‐Lakeh, M., Afshin, A., Vos, T., Daoud, F., Wang, H., Bcheraoui, C. E., Khalil, I., et al. (2017) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0169575 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Mental illness stigma, psychological resilience, and help seeking: What are the relationships?
Crowe, A., Averett, P. E., & Glass, J. S. (2015) · Mental Health & Prevention · doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2015.12.001 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Duration of untreated symptoms in common mental disorders: association with outcomes
Kisely, S. R., Scott, A., Denney, J., & Simon, G. E. (2006) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.105.019869 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Barriers to mental health care in J apan: Results from the World Mental Health J apan Survey
Kanehara, A., Umeda, M., Kawakami, N., & the World Mental Health Japan Survey Group (2014) · Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences · doi:10.1111/pcn.12267 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Mental health literacy among pediatric hospital staff in the United Arab Emirates
Al‐Yateem, N., Rossiter, R. C., Robb, W. F., Ahmad, A. M., ElHalik, M. S., Alblooshi, S. M., & Slewa‐Younan, S. (2017) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1556-z · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Delays in Treatment for Mental Disorders and Health Insurance Coverage
McLaughlin, C. G. (2004) · Health Services Research · doi:10.1111/j.1475-6773.2004.00224.x · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Al‐Tameemi, N. K., & Sarriff, A. (2019) · Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences · doi:10.1186/s40780-019-0131-9 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Self-citationSuicide in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Koronfel, A. A. (2002) · Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine · doi:10.1054/jcfm.2002.0514 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Mental Health and Psychological Practice in the United Arab Emirates
Al-Karam, C. Y., & Haque, A. (2015) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/9781137558237 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Professionals You Can Trust: Pharmacists Top the List Again in Ipsos Reid Survey
Lynas, K. (2012) · Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada · doi:10.3821/145.2.cpj55c · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Concepts of mental health: Definitions and challenges
Thirunavurakasu, M., Thirunavukarasu, P., & Bhugra, D. (2011) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0020764011422006 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Peer Reviewed: Evolving Definitions of Mental Illness and Wellness
Manderscheid, R. W., Ryff, C. D., Freeman, E., McKnight-Eily, L. R., Dhingra, S. S., & Strine, T. W. (2010) · Preventing Chronic Disease · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Mental Health System Development in the UAE
Haque, A., & Kindi, B. A. A. (2015) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/9781137558237_3 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Crespo-González, C., Dineen‐Griffin, S., Rae, J., & Hill, R. A. (2022) · Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy · doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2022.06.006 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Balancing Ethics and Opportunities: The Role of AI in Psychotherapy and Counselling
Bloch‐Atefi, A. (2025) · Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia · doi:10.59158/001c.129884 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Jensen, P., Engdahl, B., Gustavson, K., Lund, I. O., Pettersen, J. H., Madsen, C., Hauge, L. J., Knudsen, A. K., Reneflot, A., Brandlistuen, R. E., et al. (2023) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-023-05157-1 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
The effects of baicalin in depression: preclinical evidence construction based on meta-analysis
Wang, D., Ren, Y.-M., Guo, Y., Zhang, Z., Sui, H., & Zhang, H. (2024) · Frontiers in Pharmacology · doi:10.3389/fphar.2024.1425094 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
El‐Haj‐Mohamad, R., Stein, J., Stammel, N., Nesterko, Y., Wagner, B., Böttche, M., & Knaevelsrud, C. (2024) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.080 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Hanach, N., Radwan, H. M., Bani‐Issa, W., Saqan, R., & de Vries, N. K. (2024) · Midwifery · doi:10.1016/j.midw.2024.103977 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
El‐Haj‐Mohamad, R., Böttche, M., Vöhringer, M., Specht, F., Stammel, N., Nesterko, Y., Knaevelsrud, C., & Wagner, B. (2024) · Stress and Health · doi:10.1002/smi.3432 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Challenges and Barriers in Primary Mental Health Services in Saudi Arabia: A Narrative Review
Alshahrani, S. S., Alrajhi, M. M., Alshehri, M. A., Alotaibi, F. M., & Altwerqe, M. S. (2023) · Advances in Human Biology · doi:10.4103/aihb.aihb_54_23 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Newer Neuromodulation Techniques for Psychiatric Disorders: A 2023 Update
Kar, S. K., & Vidya, K. L. (2023) · Indian Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. · doi:10.54169/ijocp.v3i01.70 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Albesher, A., & Alwahib, M. F. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0329029 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Alangari, A. S., Fatani, F., Binhowaimel, N., Kadri, H. A. A., Alshahrani, A., Khateeb, B. F. A., Aldubikhi, A., Amer, M. I. B., Alsaif, A., & El-Metwally, A. (2024) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare12131298 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Shipowick, T., Austin, J., Sudiacal, N., Miller, S., Pereira, J. A., & Bundy, C. (2025) · JEADV Clinical Practice · doi:10.1002/jvc2.606 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Qutishat, M., Ali, N. M. A., Albalushi, M., & Al‐Huseini, S. (2025) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/00207640251360283 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Jung, H., Jaime, J. A., & Lee, S. (2021) · Qualitative Social Work · doi:10.1177/14733250211027630 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Alrumaithi, F., & Moonesar, I. A. (2022) · Journal of Advanced Research in Social Sciences · doi:10.33422/jarss.v6i1.788 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Ibrahim, O. M., Ibrahim, R. M., Al‐Tameemi, N. K., Ebaed, S. B. M., Mazroui, N. A., & Riley, K. (2021) · International Journal of Clinical Practice · doi:10.1111/ijcp.14344 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Self-citationAlkaabi, M. A. K., Singh, J., Mishra, V., & Haque, M. M. (2024) · Hospital Topics · doi:10.1080/00185868.2024.2394801 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Cross-cultural perspectives on mental health shame among male workers
Kotera, Y., Jackson, J. E., Aledeh, M., Edwards, A., Veasey, C. M., Barnes, K., Komorowska, M. A., Adam, H., & Kirkman, A. (2023) · Journal of Men s Health · doi:10.22514/jomh.2023.018 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Stephens, K., & Phillips, K. E. (2026) · Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association · doi:10.1177/10783903261422669 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Postpartum depression in the UAE
Hanach, N. (2024) · doi:10.26481/dis.20240923nh · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Ismail, A., Ismail, T. A. T., & Marzuki, M. F. M. (2023) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.47619
(2023) · International Journal of Biology Pharmacy and Allied Sciences · doi:10.31032/ijbpas/2023/12.12.1022
Post-COVIDmental health of librarians in Vietnam
Le, L. N., Kim, T. N. T., Vinh, V. N. H., Huynh, T. T., Nguyen, M. H., Doan, H. Q., Ngoc, N. T. T., & Lu, L. C. (2024) · Ministry of Science and Technology Vietnam · doi:10.31276/vmostjossh.2022.0001
Görmez, O., Hasançavuşoğlu, K., Koç, F. B., Üçer, A. F., Pulatlı, E., Demir, E., Karacan, İ. B., Gökmen, D., & Çolak, B. (2025) · Ankara Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Tıp Dergisi · doi:10.20492/aeahtd.1493662
Psychological Counseling and Social Work: Saudi Perspective on Mental Health Care
Alanazi, T. N. L., Alanazi, S. M. A., Alahmadi, H. M. H., Alenezi, I. R. B., & Alanazi, A. N. O. (2025) · International Journal of Computational and Experimental Science and Engineering · doi:10.22399/ijcesen.4015
Mental Health Service Use Among University Students: How Barriers and Social Support MatterPreprint
Tseng, Y. Q. M., Yong, M., & Xu, Y. (2025) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7332113/v1
Subburayan, B., Sridevi, M., Krishnaveni, N., Mohan, C., Kumar, S., Sandhya, D., Vinod, P., & Kurup, R. R. (2025) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/979-8-3373-0928-6.ch004
Vu, T. T. (2026) · Discover Mental Health · doi:10.1007/s44192-025-00365-5
The Complex Relationship Between Community, Economic, Social Factors, Violent Crime, and Suicide
Henderson, H., Bourgeois, J. W., Smith, S., Smith, S., & Ferguson, C. J. (2026) · Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1002/jclp.70089
Chigozie, N. G. (2026) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-8623395/v1
Empowering Mental Health Support in Panama: A Web Application
Singh, J., Chong, K., & Bonilla-Morales, B. (2026) · Communications in computer and information science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-16761-3_5
South African blessees’ lived experiences and perceptions of intergenerational sexual relationshipsPreprint
Sibanyoni, S., Schurink, W., & Mulaudzi, M. (2026) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-8738924/v1
Gender Differences Among College Students in Seeking and Discussing Mental Health
Geegan, S. A., Parker, K. A., Amissah, A. A., Ivanov, B., & Jaffe, D. E. (2026) · Gender Issues · doi:10.1007/s12147-026-09412-z
Racial and gender disparities in reasons for seeking mental healthcare in Canada
Farahi, S. M. M. M., Ouattara, M. M., Kibret, T. C., & Cénat, J. M. (2026) · Discover Mental Health · doi:10.1007/s44192-026-00571-9
- Authors
- Mohamed Ibrahim, O. H., Ibrahim, R. M., Al-Tameemi, N. K., & Riley, K.
- Affiliations
- University of Sharjah (AE)
- University of Florida (US)
- Venue
- Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal
- Published
- 2020-08
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 971-976
- ISSN
- 1319-0164 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7414072
- OpenAlex
- W3039982747
- Cited by
- 34
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 2.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Disorders
- Keywords
- mental illness, help-seeking barriers, help-seeking, stigma, shame, suicidal ideation, treatment delay, United Arab Emirates
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
