IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i7p983-d1684993.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mental Health Stigma and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Primary Healthcare Physicians in Oman

Author

Listed:
  • Tharaya Al-Hashemi

    (Al Masarra Hospital, Ministry of Health, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Tamadhir Al-Mahrouqi

    (Department of Behavioral Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Salim Al-Huseini

    (Al Masarra Hospital, Ministry of Health, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Muna Al Salmi

    (Al Masarra Hospital, Ministry of Health, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Rahma Al Nuumani

    (Al Masarra Hospital, Ministry of Health, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Fatma Al Balushi

    (Al Masarra Hospital, Ministry of Health, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Al Khatib Al Saadi

    (Department of Psychiatry, Sohar Hospital, Ministry of Health, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Muna AlKalbani

    (Computing Department, Muscat College, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Sachin Jose

    (Research Department, Oman Medical Specialty Board, Muscat 123, Oman)

  • Samir Al-Adawi

    (Department of Behavioural Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman)

Abstract

Background: In Oman, primary healthcare physicians (PHPs) are often the first point of contact in the healthcare system. Understanding the prevalence and impact of stigma among these professionals is crucial to fostering a supportive work environment and promoting access to mental health care. This study evaluated mental health stigma and its association with help-seeking behaviors among PHPs in Muscat, Oman. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from March to May 2023 using cluster random sampling to recruit 191 PHPs. Participants completed a structured questionnaire that evaluated demographic and clinical characteristics, help-seeking behaviors, and perceived stigma. The PPSS developed for this study underwent expert review, pilot tests, and reliability analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression, with a significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Most of the participants were women (78.5%), aged 30–39 years (49.7%), and Omani nationals (71.2%). More than half (57.6%) reported experiencing depressive episodes, yet only 21.8% sought professional help. High levels of stigma were associated with reluctance to seek professional mental health support, and 24.6% of participants preferred not to seek help at all. Those in the stigma group were significantly more likely to rely on family or friends for support (adjusted OR = 2.873; 95% CI = 1.345–6.138; p = 0.006). Common barriers to help-seeking included a lack of belief in the effectiveness of treatment (23.0%) and concerns about confidentiality (19.9%). Conclusions: Mental health stigma remains a widespread problem among primary healthcare physicians in Oman, influencing their behavior and preferences. Interventions to reduce stigma and address barriers to mental health care, such as enhanced confidentiality safeguards and treatment skepticism, are critical to improving physician well-being and healthcare delivery. This study can inform policy and training programs aimed at improving physician well-being and patient care.

Suggested Citation

  • Tharaya Al-Hashemi & Tamadhir Al-Mahrouqi & Salim Al-Huseini & Muna Al Salmi & Rahma Al Nuumani & Fatma Al Balushi & Al Khatib Al Saadi & Muna AlKalbani & Sachin Jose & Samir Al-Adawi, 2025. "Mental Health Stigma and Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Primary Healthcare Physicians in Oman," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(7), pages 1-19, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:7:p:983-:d:1684993
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/7/983/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/7/983/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Samir Al-Adawi & Atsu S.S. Dorvlo & Suad S. Al-Ismaily & Dalal A. Al-Ghafry & Balquis Z. Al-Noobi & Ahmed Al-Salmi & David T. Burke & Mrugeshkumar K. Shah & Harith Ghassany & Suma P. Chand, 2002. "Perception of and Attitude towards Mental Illness in Oman," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 48(4), pages 305-317, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Takashi Yamauchi & Tsuneo Semba & Anju Sudo & Nobuko Takahashi & Hirofumi Nakamura & Kunihiro Yoshimura & Hitoshi Koyama & Shoko Ishigami & Tadashi Takeshima, 2011. "Effects of psychiatric training on nursing students’ attitudes towards people with mental illness in Japan," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 57(6), pages 574-579, November.
    2. Sara Ali & Danah Elsayed & Saadia Elahi & Belal Zia & Rania Awaad, 2022. "Predicting rejection attitudes toward utilizing formal mental health services in Muslim women in the US: Results from the Muslims’ perceptions and attitudes to mental health study," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 68(3), pages 662-669, May.
    3. Abdalhadi Hasan & Mahmoud Musleh, 2017. "The impact of an empowerment intervention on people with schizophrenia: Results of a randomized controlled trial," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 63(3), pages 212-223, May.
    4. Ehab Ali Sorketti & Nor Zuraida Zainal & Mohamad Hussain Habil, 2013. "The treatment outcome of psychotic disorders by traditional healers in central Sudan," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 59(4), pages 365-376, June.
    5. Badeea El-kashalla, 2024. "Conventional Therapy and Psychotherapy (The Case of the Arab-Bedouin Society, the Healer Sheikh and the Psychologist)," International Journal of Culture and History, Macrothink Institute, vol. 11(1), pages 1-1, December.
    6. Klimentina Krstanoska-Blazeska & Russell Thomson & Shameran Slewa-Younan, 2021. "Mental Illness Stigma and Associated Factors among Arabic-Speaking Religious and Community Leaders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-13, July.
    7. Sarya Swed & Sheikh Sohib & Noheir Ashraf Ibrahem Fathy Hassan & Mohammad Badr Almoshantaf & Sidra Mhd Sammer Alkadi & Yossef Hassan AbdelQadir & Nancy Ibrahim & Lina Taha Khair & Agyad Bakkour & Ali , 2022. "Stigmatizing attitudes towards depression among university students in Syria," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(9), pages 1-21, September.
    8. Monica Zolezzi & Maha Alamri & Shahd Shaar & Daniel Rainkie, 2018. "Stigma associated with mental illness and its treatment in the Arab culture: A systematic review," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 64(6), pages 597-609, September.
    9. Wahiba Abu-Ras & Amir Birani & Zulema E. Suarez & Cynthia L. Arfken, 2022. "Palestinian Muslim College Students’ Attitudes to Mental Health Treatment: A Comparative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-17, November.
    10. Samir Al-Adawi & Zakiya Al-Busaidi & Sara Al-Adawi & David T. Burke, 2012. "Families Coping With Disability Due to Brain Injury in Oman," SAGE Open, , vol. 2(3), pages 21582440124, July.
    11. Ahmed M Sewilam & Annie MM Watson & Ahmed M Kassem & Sue Clifton & Margaret C McDonald & Rebecca Lipski & Smita Deshpande & Hader Mansour & Vishwajit L Nimgaonkar, 2015. "Suggested avenues to reduce the stigma of mental illness in the Middle East," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(2), pages 111-120, March.
    12. R. Padmavati & R. Thara & Ellen Corin, 2005. "A Qualitative Study of Religious Practices by Chronic Mentally Ill and their Caregivers in South India," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 51(2), pages 139-149, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:7:p:983-:d:1684993. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.