Despite the language of the shocking numbers revealed by the results of the first national survey of mental illness and life stress, psychologists and mental health still suffer marginalization and neglect, while they can play major roles in restoring balance to the souls of many, which contributes to raising the quality of life. Vision 2030 goals and increase productivity at work. According to the results of the survey, 83% of people with mental illnesses do not receive treatment, and 40% of those infected are in their youth, while the percentage of depression is 6%, and the patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder reach 8%. This investigation sheds light on the missing role - despite its importance - of psychologists and mental health for members of society in various fields, especially in light of the results of the first national survey of mental illness and life stresses conducted by the Kingdom, in which we ask experts and specialists: How is the quality of life affected by ignoring the importance of mental health and personal peace ?

We are facing a mental health epidemic

Dr. Yasmine Al-Tuwaijri, a visiting researcher, Harvard Medical School, says: The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 aims to raise the level of quality of life and build a vibrant society in which its members enjoy a lifestyle and an environment that provides a positive and attractive environment, and this will only be achieved by promoting physical, psychological and social health in parallel tracks. Adding that mental health disorders represent one of the major public health problems, globally, and the Kingdom has conducted the first national mental health survey recently as part of the Global Mental Health Survey initiative, in more than 33 countries so far. After analyzing the results, we found evidence that we are facing The mental health epidemic is like what the rest of the world is going through.

Al-Tuwaijri confirms that the results of the survey revealed in late 2019 reveal that 83% of Saudis diagnosed with severe mental health disorders did not seek to receive any kind of treatment. Without seeking treatment, especially those related to social stigma.

She appealed to the concerned authorities to put the research recommendations on their list of priorities to facilitate the provision of services that meet mental health needs and to expand remote electronic treatments that are provided by specialists in a safe and effective manner, and expressed their aspiration that the results would be an educational resource that increases the understanding of mental health conditions prevailing among Saudis, and contributes to Challenging the stigma, not only in the kingdom, but in the whole region.

Al-Salami: A clear disregard for the role of psychologists

Dr. Youssef Saif Al-Salami, Ph.D. in Psychology, says: Many people think that psychology specializes in studying behavior in the event of disorder only, and this is a wrong and common concept, indicating that he deals with healthy people with the aim of reaching the person to achieve himself and his active participation with his community to build his country, achieve his vision and develop and develop his abilities to Learning, creativity and much more.

He pointed to the important role of psychologists in providing an explanation and understanding of human behavior, controlling it, providing solutions that prevent crises and manifestations of abnormal and unacceptable behavior, and developing human skills.

He warned of the consequences of ignoring the role of specialists and the losses that society may suffer as a result of that.

Empowering Psychologists Promotes Vision 2030

Dr. Amani Muhammad Al-Dosari, Vice Dean of the Department of Psychology at Umm Al-Qura University, says: In their life path, individuals are exposed to many new and stressful situations and undesirable experiences that require overcoming before they seem insurmountable. And it becomes an obstacle to psychological compatibility, and from here everyone agrees on the importance of psychologists, as they have an important role in building the personality of the individual and his success in performing his roles in life.

Al-Dosari points out that the Kingdom''s Vision 2030 gives priority to paying attention to the quality of life that society should enjoy, and therefore their role must be supported and enabling them to perform their mission in order to achieve this great goal.

Answering perplexing questions

Dr. Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, a consultant psychiatrist, confirms that psychology provides us with answers to important questions such as why we think and act the way we act, how we can improve ourselves, and how to make more correct and positive decisions, and less of their negative impact, thus avoiding stressful situations and learning Adaptation and learning from all our life experiences.

Al-Mansour pointed to the great successes achieved by psychiatrists in developing medicines, diagnosing diseases, treating and helping many in their suffering with their mental illnesses, and helping their families in dealing with them. He stressed that enabling psychologists to carry out their mission towards society will change the lifestyle of many for the better and will reflect positively on social, family and private relationships, warning against the fate of leaving community members alone in the face of the many psychological risks and problems imposed by the pressures and complexities of life without awareness and prevention. Psychological treatment and care.

Huge shortage of specialists

Khaled Al-Amir, a lecturer at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, believes that organizational psychology has many important roles in the work sector, including ensuring the availability of an appropriate work environment for employees to perform their work tasks better, increasing productivity, and it also has other roles related to employment. Choosing the right employee, developing, training and motivating them.

Despite the importance of the role of the organizational psychologist for the economy in general by improving productivity and performance and reducing huge costs due to health problems caused by work pressures, there is a great shortage of specialists in it, and there is an urgent need to establish academic programs that contribute to supplying the labor sector with a number of specialists.

1% of spending on mental health

Dr. Rashad Al-Senussi, a consultant psychiatrist at Jazan University, confirms that what is spent from the health budget in developed countries for mental health services amounts to 20% of the total expenditures, while in most third world countries we are still far from this percentage and the part spent on mental health is hardly 1 -2%, indicating that the results of the National Survey of Mental Illnesses and Life Stresses project provided a rich material for the concerned authorities and sounded the alarm, especially that young people represent 40% of the total suffering from mental disorders and diseases, and that 83% of those afflicted with mental illnesses did not receive treatment. He pointed out that the overlap and interaction of external environmental conditions, such as physical and social, with internal conditions such as genetics, makes the causes of these diseases a complex matter and may lead the individual to many behaviors that harm him in terms he does not feel, and demanded focus in prevention and treatment on the age groups most affected and exposed to the disease. Raising awareness and providing psychological services in primary care and non-psychiatric hospitals.

Al-Senussi appealed to all educational parties, especially educational institutions, to benefit from the results of this survey, which showed that the prevalence of ADHD is 8%, which is a high and alarming rate if we know that it has educational and social consequences in addition to the great burden it places on the family of the sufferer, and depression, which amounts to Its prevalence rate of 6% is the second cause of health disabilities in the world if it is not treated.

Key Features of Mental Health Survey

83% of people with mental disorders did not seek treatment

8% of the incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

6% infection rate

40% of injuries are among young people

A clear disregard for the role of mental health clinicians at work

Complaints about the poor feasibility of school counseling

Recruitment of non-professionals

For his part, Dr. Hammoud bin Batel Al-Abri, Director of the Guidance Unit at Al-Faisal University, confirms that, during his years of work in the University Guidance Unit, he met many students who suffer from psychological problems since before the university, and when asked why you did not review school guidance, the answer is often checked, but I did not benefit. He pointed out that the pre-university age stages are important and need psychological counseling, and currently non-specialists are appointed to the job of counseling, which reduces the quality of service and makes it only a name without a vital and tangible role.

Al-Abri called for the necessity of appointing a psychology graduate in the profession of student counseling within government schools because of the urgent need for education to specialists with a license to practice to help students overcome psychological difficulties, deal with disturbing situations or thoughts, contribute to behavior modification, build self and provide sound psychological awareness.