The epidemiology of substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Saudi national mental health survey
Abstract Background Substance use disorders (SUDs), encompassing alcohol (AUDs) and drug use disorders (DUDs), are significant global public health concerns. While SUDs are well-documented worldwide, data on their prevalence and impact in Saudi Arabia remain scarce. This study investigates the epide...
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BMC
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21190-5 |
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| author | Yasmin Altwaijri Corina Benjet Marya Akkad Lisa Bilal Mohammad Talal Naseem Abdulhameed Al-Habeeb Abdullah S. Al-Subaie Nouf K. Al-Saud |
| author_facet | Yasmin Altwaijri Corina Benjet Marya Akkad Lisa Bilal Mohammad Talal Naseem Abdulhameed Al-Habeeb Abdullah S. Al-Subaie Nouf K. Al-Saud |
| author_sort | Yasmin Altwaijri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Substance use disorders (SUDs), encompassing alcohol (AUDs) and drug use disorders (DUDs), are significant global public health concerns. While SUDs are well-documented worldwide, data on their prevalence and impact in Saudi Arabia remain scarce. This study investigates the epidemiology and burden of SUDs in Saudi Arabia using data from the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS). Methods The SNMHS is a nationally representative cross-sectional epidemiological household survey, consisting of a sample of 4,004 participants aged 15–65. The survey employed a stratified multistage clustered sampling design and used the WHO CIDI 3.0 to determine diagnoses. Descriptive statistics and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results The lifetime, 12-month, and 30-day prevalence of any SUD were 4.03%, 1.88%, and 0.78% (p < 0.05), respectively. DUDs were more prevalent than AUDs overall. SUDs were significantly associated with younger age, lower education, low income, exposure to traumatic events, family burden, and childhood adversities. High psychiatric comorbidity and role impairment were observed. Treatment seeking was moderate, with only 44.9% of those with lifetime SUDs seeking any form of treatment. Conclusions SUDs in Saudi Arabia are more prevalent than previously thought, associated with significant psychiatric comorbidities and role impairment. Despite this, treatment seeking remains inadequate. These findings underscore the need for targeted prevention and intervention programs tailored to the demographic and cultural context of Saudi Arabia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-16ec4edf851c44f9bd9d9de23bd4d22b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-16ec4edf851c44f9bd9d9de23bd4d22b2025-01-12T12:43:16ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-01-0125111210.1186/s12889-024-21190-5The epidemiology of substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Saudi national mental health surveyYasmin Altwaijri0Corina Benjet1Marya Akkad2Lisa Bilal3Mohammad Talal Naseem4Abdulhameed Al-Habeeb5Abdullah S. Al-Subaie6Nouf K. Al-Saud7Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing Department, King Faisal Specialist. Hospital and Research Centre, MBC 03Center for Global Mental Health, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente MuñizBiostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing Department, King Faisal Specialist. Hospital and Research Centre, MBC 03Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing Department, King Faisal Specialist. Hospital and Research Centre, MBC 03Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing Department, King Faisal Specialist. Hospital and Research Centre, MBC 03National Center for Mental Health Promotion, Ministry of HealthSABIC Psychological Health Research & Applications Chair (SPHRAC), College of Medicine, King Saud UniversityBiostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing Department, King Faisal Specialist. Hospital and Research Centre, MBC 03Abstract Background Substance use disorders (SUDs), encompassing alcohol (AUDs) and drug use disorders (DUDs), are significant global public health concerns. While SUDs are well-documented worldwide, data on their prevalence and impact in Saudi Arabia remain scarce. This study investigates the epidemiology and burden of SUDs in Saudi Arabia using data from the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS). Methods The SNMHS is a nationally representative cross-sectional epidemiological household survey, consisting of a sample of 4,004 participants aged 15–65. The survey employed a stratified multistage clustered sampling design and used the WHO CIDI 3.0 to determine diagnoses. Descriptive statistics and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results The lifetime, 12-month, and 30-day prevalence of any SUD were 4.03%, 1.88%, and 0.78% (p < 0.05), respectively. DUDs were more prevalent than AUDs overall. SUDs were significantly associated with younger age, lower education, low income, exposure to traumatic events, family burden, and childhood adversities. High psychiatric comorbidity and role impairment were observed. Treatment seeking was moderate, with only 44.9% of those with lifetime SUDs seeking any form of treatment. Conclusions SUDs in Saudi Arabia are more prevalent than previously thought, associated with significant psychiatric comorbidities and role impairment. Despite this, treatment seeking remains inadequate. These findings underscore the need for targeted prevention and intervention programs tailored to the demographic and cultural context of Saudi Arabia.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21190-5Substance useAddictionMental healthEpidemiologySNMHS |
| spellingShingle | Yasmin Altwaijri Corina Benjet Marya Akkad Lisa Bilal Mohammad Talal Naseem Abdulhameed Al-Habeeb Abdullah S. Al-Subaie Nouf K. Al-Saud The epidemiology of substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Saudi national mental health survey BMC Public Health Substance use Addiction Mental health Epidemiology SNMHS |
| title | The epidemiology of substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Saudi national mental health survey |
| title_full | The epidemiology of substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Saudi national mental health survey |
| title_fullStr | The epidemiology of substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Saudi national mental health survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | The epidemiology of substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Saudi national mental health survey |
| title_short | The epidemiology of substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Saudi national mental health survey |
| title_sort | epidemiology of substance use disorders in saudi arabia findings from the saudi national mental health survey |
| topic | Substance use Addiction Mental health Epidemiology SNMHS |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21190-5 |
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