Psychiatrist Dr. Suhail Khan said in a press conference on the side of the seminar that depression was spreading more — but not exclusively — among people who had passed their 40s. Depression, he said, could also be found among people who were against the status quo and were not adhering to social norms. In addition, it can be found among innovative thinkers who have been distinguished in the music and art sectors.
Khan said that consulting a psychiatrist was a major problem in many societies: “It has been a major concern for doctors in the Kingdom, who are also expressing concern about the legal issues related to treating patients.”
Asked about the addiction of anti-depression drugs, he said that not all anti-depressants were addictive. Instead, only medications that help people to sleep are likely to cause dependency. Commenting on the competition between drug companies, Khan said it was a good competition that aimed at minimizing side effects of medications. “Scientific research is generally in the advantage of human beings, and in the end the restrictions of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority are even stricter than those implemented in the US and Europe,” explained Khan.
New studies, he said, had revealed that people suffering from depression sometimes delayed their consultation by 10 years, which tends to mark a real threat to the social well-being of patients. Among the main indications that can mark depression are losing the ability to feel pleasure, sleeping difficulty, negative thinking, anxiety, not willing to eat, hoping for death, or attempts to commit suicide.
Dr. Osama Al-Ibrahim, general supervisor at Al-Amal hospital for psychological and mental heath, said that depression tended to affect both the victims and their families. According to a Saudi study conducted in Alkhobar in the Eastern province, some 33 percent of patients visiting psychiatrists suffer from mental illnesses that include depression and anxiety. However, only eight percent of them have been given the right diagnosis.
In Riyadh, on the other hand, 30 to 40 percent of outdoor patients suffer mental disorders, but the majority of them have not been given the right diagnosis. According to the same study, in the central region 18 percent of adults suffer from mental disorders that can be of medium to minor degrees.
In an op-ed published in Al-Watan newspaper, Saudi businessman Abdullah Dahlan stated that there were half a million patients in the Kingdom suffering from some form of physiological disorders who have seen a doctor. In addition, there is an unidentified number of patients who have not been given the diagnosis or even seen a doctor. People with psychological disorders tend to consult some 21 hospitals and 100 clinics.