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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1477315
This article is part of the Research Topic Spirituality and Religion: Implications for Mental Health View all 27 articles

Public perceptions of digital mental health awareness campaign in the Arab Gulf states: A qualitative thematic analysis

Provisionally accepted
Noura Alomair Noura Alomair 1*Ghadah Alkhaldi Ghadah Alkhaldi 1Norah Alsadhan Norah Alsadhan 1Rawan Alqasabi Rawan Alqasabi 2Samah Alageel Samah Alageel 1
  • 1 King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 2 Council of Health Insurance, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Mental illness is a significant public health concern and a leading cause of disability worldwide.Research shows a lack of mental health knowledge and inappropriate practices in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. Our study aimed to evaluate individuals' perspectives on mental health by analysing their responses to a digital campaign directed at GCC adolescents.We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of comments in response to the Gulf Health Council's mental health campaign. The campaign content was shared on four social media platforms: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and X. A total of 2,146 comments were included in the analysis. There was a widespread denial of the existence of mental illness. The comments revealed a lack of understanding and insufficient support for individuals dealing with mental health issues. Stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness were evident in the comments. The general perception was that individuals have control over their mental health, often associating mental illness with weakness and lack of willpower. Mental illness was believed to be caused by religious and moral shortcomings, and religion was viewed as the solution. Some comments highlighted the need to acknowledge mental illness and urged the development of strategies to promote mental health. Our research shows a lack of awareness, stigma, and inadequate resources for individuals dealing with mental health issues. It highlights the importance of addressing barriers to mental healthcare and increasing access to support.Interventions focusing on stigma reduction and promoting acceptance of mental health disorders are crucial and require collaborative efforts from various stakeholders.

    Keywords: Mental Health, Digital Health, mental illness, culture, Religion, stigma

    Received: 07 Aug 2024; Accepted: 02 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Alomair, Alkhaldi, Alsadhan, Alqasabi and Alageel. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Noura Alomair, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.