The burden of mental, and substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Abstract Background Mental and substance use disorders represent a significant global public health challenge causing considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. This paper assessed the prevalence, incidence, and trends in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) rates due to mental and substance use disorders over a 30-year period in Saudi Arabia. Method This is a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 study. Data for the disease burden of mental and substance use disorders were used to Saudi Arabia from 1990 to 2019. Results In 2019, there were 5,032,669 million (95% uncertainty intervals (UI) 3·5–9·9)) adults in Saudi Arabia with mental disorder, and 166,989 thousand with substance use disorder. The largest proportion of prevalence increase from 1990 to 2019 was in eating disorder with 9.8% (95% UI 7.03–12.6). The most significant proportion of prevalence and incidence increase from 1990 to 2019 was in opioid disorders with 69.72% (95% UI 67-72.5), 42.14% (95% UI 32.414–54.75). Gender and age variations were observed in the DALYs due to mental and substance use disorders. From 1990 to 2019 there was + 26.46% increase in the annual change rate of age standardized DALYs due to substance use disorders Conclusion This study highlights the modest increase in the prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates associated with mental disorders in Saudi Arabia over the past three decades. However, there has been a significant rise in the prevalence, incidence, and DALYs rates related to substance use disorders across different gender and age groups. These findings underscore the significance of taking into account age and gender differences in mental and substance use disorders when formulating prevention and treatment initiatives. Further research is warranted to identify the factors contributing to the upward trend in substance use disorders and to devise effective strategies for addressing this critical public health concern.