Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39014408›Full record

ArticleHuman resources for health2024

Workforce estimate to treat mental disorders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Eileen Lee, Tim A Bruckner, Mohammad Alluhidan, Adwa Alamri, Abdulhameed Alhabeeb, Ziad Nakshabandi, Mohammed M J Alqahtani, Christopher H Herbst, Mariam M Hamza, Nahar Alazemi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Human resources for health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Family Honor, Gender Norms, and Help-Seeking Shape Mental Health Stigma in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financing
    Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Eileen LeeThe World Bank, 701 18th St NW, Washington, DC, 20006, USA. ele@amboss.com.ORCID 0009-0002-8244-4985
Tim A BrucknerThe World Bank, 701 18th St NW, Washington, DC, 20006, USA.
Mohammad AlluhidanSaudi Heath Council, Olaya St, As Sahafah, 13315, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Adwa AlamriSaudi Heath Council, Olaya St, As Sahafah, 13315, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulhameed AlhabeebNational Center for Mental Health, Al Mathar Ash Shamali, 12332, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ziad NakshabandiSaudi Commission for Health Specialties Central Province, Laysen Valley, Umm Alhammam Algharbi District, 7892 King Khalid Branch Road, 12329, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed M J AlqahtaniKing Khalid University, 6HX6+33Q, 62529, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Christopher H HerbstThe World Bank, 701 18th St NW, Washington, DC, 20006, USA.
Mariam M HamzaThe World Bank, 701 18th St NW, Washington, DC, 20006, USA.
Nahar AlazemiSaudi Heath Council, Olaya St, As Sahafah, 13315, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMental, neurological, and substance abuse (MNS) disorders describe a range of conditions that affect the brain and cause distress or functional impairment. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), MNS disorders make up 10.88 percent of the burden of disease as measured in disability-adjusted life years. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is one of the main providers of mental health services and one of the largest contributors to mental health research in the region. Within the past decade, mental health resources and services has increased.

methodsWe employ a needs-based workforce estimate as a planning exercise to arrive at the total number of psychiatrists, nurses, and psychosocial care providers needed to meet the epidemiological need of mental health conditions of the population of KSA. Estimates for a potential mental health workforce gap were calculated using five steps: Step 1-Quantify target population for priority mental health conditions. Step 2-Identify number of expected cases per year. Step 3-Set target service coverage for each condition. Step 4-Estimate cost-effective health care service resource utilization for each condition. Step 5-Estimate service resources needed for each condition.

resultsThe planning exercise indicates an epidemiologic need for a total of 17,100 full-time-equivalent (FTE) health care providers to treat priority MNS disorders. KSA appears to have a need-based shortage of 10,400 health workers to treat mental disorders. A total of 100 psychiatrists, 5700 nurses, and 4500 psychosocial care providers would be additionally needed (that is, above and beyond current levels) to address the priority mental health conditions. The shortfall is particularly severe for nurses and psychosocial workers who make up 98.9 percent of the shortfall. This shortage is substantial when compared to other high-income countries. Overall, the workforce needed to treat MNS conditions translates to 49.2 health workers per 100,000 population.

conclusionChallenges to addressing the shortfall are Saudi specific which includes awareness of cultural customs and norms in the medical setting. These challenges are compounded by the lack of Saudi nationals in the mental health workforce. Saudi nationals make up 29.5 percent of the physician workforce and 38.8 percent of the nursing workforce. Policymakers and planners supplement this shortfall with non-Saudi providers, who must be mindful of Saudi-specific cultural considerations. Potential solutions to reducing the shortfall of mental health care workers includes nurse task shifting and training of general practitioners to screen for, and treat, a subset of MNS disorders.

Indexed as

Health Services Needs and DemandHealth WorkforceMental DisordersMental Health ServicesCost-Benefit AnalysisHealth PersonnelHealth ResourcesHumansNursesPsychiatrySaudi ArabiaWorkforceHealth workforce deliveryHealth workforce shortageMental healthSaudi ArabiaWorkforce planning

Identifiers

PMID39014408
PMCPMC11251355

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.