The Influence of Demographics on The Prevalence of Mental Disorders in Jeddah City

Abstract

Introduction: Although many studies reported that demographic (age, gender, marital status, employment, and education) influence the prevalence of mental disorders (Depression, anxiety, and Schizophrenia) (e.g. Mahmoud, Staten, Hall, & Lennie, 2012), studies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia are lacking. This study is an endeavour to determine the relationship between the two variables in Jeddah. Methodology: Cases of patients admitted to the main mental hospital in Jeddah in the last ten years were retrieved from the hospital's archive. The demographic factors and the mental disorder of the patients were collected and analysed. This was followed by comparing the demographic factors of the hospital patients to the census of the entire population of Jeddah, which enables the researcher to compare these proportions to those in the whole population.

Results/ Findings: It is anticipated that mental disorders are inversely correlated with employment and education. Anxiety and depression are more common in women than men. Schizophrenia is more common among men than women. Anxiety is more common among young people. Depression is more common among old people. Anxiety is more common among young people. Marriage is a protective factor against depression. There is no relationship between marital status and anxiety or Schizophrenia.