Saudi Experts Urge Faster Diagnosis as Study Reveals Years-Long Delay in Seeking Mental Health Care

ALKHOBAR: Mental health specialists gathered in Alkhobar this week to press for earlier intervention and wider access to psychiatric services, after a review of national data showed that patients in Saudi Arabia wait a median of eight years before seeking professional help, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

More than 20 specialists convened at the Grand Hyatt Alkhobar on Saturday for the inaugural Alkhobar Conference on Psychiatry and Mental Health, hosted by the Saudi Psychiatric Association. The talks focused on closing diagnostic gaps and improving long-term outcomes for adolescents and adults living with mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders.

A widening treatment gap

Much of the discussion drew on the Saudi National Mental Health Survey, a major nationwide study carried out by the King Salman Center for Disability Research in partnership with the Ministry of Health, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, and international collaborators such as Harvard University and the World Health Organization.

Built on in-home interviews with 4,004 Saudi citizens aged 15 to 65, the survey found that 34 percent of Saudis will meet the criteria for a mental health condition at some point in their lives. Even so, only 13.7 percent of those who experienced a disorder in a given year received treatment during that same period—a figure the survey’s published technical report records at 13.6 percent.

The disconnect is most striking among those with severe conditions: 80 percent of Saudis with serious mental health disorders seek no treatment at all. Among the minority who do reach out, 8.9 percent turn to religious or non-medical healers, compared with 6.8 percent who consult a qualified specialist such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, according to the report.

Youth bear a heavy burden

Speakers gave particular attention to identifying and treating depression in adolescents, alongside schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mood conditions.

The national data highlights how exposed younger Saudis are: 2 in 5 young people aged 15 to 24—40 percent—experience a mental health condition at some point in their lives. Across the Kingdom, the most common lifetime conditions are separation anxiety disorder (11.9 percent), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (8.0 percent), major depressive disorder (6.0 percent), social phobia (5.6 percent) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (4.1 percent).

The survey also flagged notable gender differences in lifetime prevalence. Major depressive disorder affected 8.9 percent of Saudi women, nearly three times the 3.1 percent recorded among men, while ADHD was more common in men (10.0 percent) than in women (6.0 percent).

Early care as a path to preventing relapse

Participants cautioned that postponing treatment for conditions such as depression and schizophrenia leads to more complicated clinical trajectories and can derail patients’ education, careers and relationships. Experts also reviewed how long-acting medications can strengthen treatment adherence and reduce the risk of relapse.

To close the service gap, the King Salman Center’s technical report recommends broadening school- and university-based programs, establishing dedicated facilities for women, and harnessing digital tools—including e-therapies and the Ministry of Health’s “Qareebon” smartphone app—to deliver confidential care directly into patients’ homes.

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