Dr. Sana Alharahsheh, Research Manager at the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH)
Between 76 percent and 85 percent of people with a mental health disorder in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) receive no treatment, cited Dr. Sana Alharahsheh, Research Manager at the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), at a recent meeting organized by the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA).
The Eastern Mediterranean Region is a geographical area designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) that includes the Gulf Region and stretches from Afghanistan in the East to Morocco in the West.
Speaking to a virtual group of medical students from across the region, the expert from WISH – Qatar Foundation’s global health initiative – attributed this vast treatment gap to the lack of health professionals, public workers, and health facilities, in addition to inadequate research, outdated mental health laws or limited legitimate policies, and the existing social stigma associated with the disorder.
The meeting convened mental healthcare experts to speak to the medical students and to discuss the high burden of mental illness across the EMR, as well as the need for policy reforms and greater investment in mental healthcare.
Dr. Alharahsheh was joined as a speaker by Dr. Khalid Saeed, Regional Advisor, Mental Health and Substance Use Program, WHO; Joanna Lai, Adolescent Health Specialist at UNICEF; and Sarah Klein, CEO of United for Global Mental Health, a non-governmental and non-profit organization that helps initiate and coordinate advocacy efforts to raise funds and political will for global mental healthcare.
Mental health is a growing public health issue worldwide. The WHO global estimates indicate that mental health disorders affect more than one in four people in their life path.
According to WHO [2017], the burden of mental health disorders is higher in EMR than the global level. Ongoing unrest, political instability, and conflict in the region contribute to the high prevalence of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, and the numbers are expected to rise. Dr. Alharahsheh emphasized the importance of increasing investment in mental healthcare to close the treatment gap.
She called on the regional governments to “implement nationwide quality epidemiological surveillance on mental health disorders and provide adequate prevention and treatment services.”
Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders globally and one of the main causes of disability worldwide, affecting more than 4 million people in the EMR. “EMR contributes to 16 percent of the global prevalence of depression and 12 percent of anxiety disorders [WHO, 2017].
And these prevalence rates are two times higher in women compared to men,” said Dr. Alharahsheh. “Large scale community research conducted in the region reports that psychological distress is significantly high in countries with complex emergency situations, such as Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Yemen. Despite the progress and significant changes in the field of mental health in the region, there are several challenges that need to be tackled.
“There are inadequate mental health services, research, monitoring, and evaluation processes in place. There is also a lack of resources, both human and financial, for these services, such as a shortage of trained primary care staff and insufficient funding for mental health services.
Public awareness on the subject, as well as community engagement and policymaking programs, are limited, and there is a widespread stigma in this region around mental health, which negatively affects the quality and access to care.”
