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Background: Mental disorders pose significant morbidity and mortality risks globally. Despite this, research on mental health in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is scarce, hindered by social stigmas and limited healthcare expenditure. This study, utilizing the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, aims to address this gap by examining the prevalence, incidence, and demographic patterns of mental disorders in MENA.
Methods: This ecological study draws on the GBD data to assess the prevalence and burden of mental disorders and substance abuse across the MENA region from 1990 to 2019. Utilizing age-standardized rates of prevalence and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), we examine the evolving burden of mental disorders, variations among MENA countries, and trends in associated risk factors by age and gender.
Results: From 1990 to 2019, the MENA region witnessed varying trends in mental disorders. The age-standardized prevalence rate in 2019 was 14,938 per 100,000 individuals, experiencing a 2.1% decrease overall. However, all-age prevalence surged by 86.2%. Disorders like schizophrenia and depressive disorders exhibited substantial increases, contrasting with a 128.1% rise in substance use disorders. Temporal analysis revealed fluctuations in DALY trends, capturing the dynamic nature of mental health burdens over time. Risk factors, including bullying victimization and intimate partner violence, underwent shifts, reflecting changing contributors to mental health burden.
Conclusion(s): Despite a decrease in age-standardized prevalence rates in 2019, the substantial all-age prevalence rise demands attention. Temporal analysis unraveled nuanced trends, emphasizing the complex interplay of sociocultural factors. The shifting prominence of risk factors underscores the dynamic nature of mental health burdens, necessitating region-specific interventions that address both prevalence patterns and contributing factors. Future research should delve into the specific sociocultural determinants influencing the observed trends, allowing for tailored interventions to mitigate the burden of mental health disorders in the MENA region.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-025-02885-5 | DOI Listing |
Psychol Med
September 2025
https://ror.org/03cv38k47University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Center for Clinical Neuroscience and Cognition, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Background: After remission of a first-episode psychosis (FEP), antipsychotic discontinuation is associated with an increased risk of relapse compared to maintenance treatment. We studied short and longer-term effects of discontinuation of D receptor (DR) antagonist and partial agonist antipsychotics on striatal dopamine DR availability in FEP patients.
Methods: Remitted FEP patients underwent two [C]raclopride PET scans to measure striatal DR availability: 1 week after antipsychotic discontinuation (n = 16 antagonist users, n = 6 partial agonist users) and after being medication free for 6-8 weeks (n = 8 antagonist users, n = 5 partial agonist users).
J Neurochem
September 2025
Division of Neurogeriatrics, Center for Alzheimer Research, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Elucidating the earliest biological mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) is critical for advancing early detection strategies. While amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies have been central to preclinical AD research, the roles of peripheral biological processes in disease initiation remain underexplored. We investigated patterns of F-MK6240 tau positron emission tomography (PET) and peripheral inflammation across stages defined by Aβ burden and neuronal injury in n = 132 (64.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAustralas J Dermatol
September 2025
School of Clinical Medicine (St Vincent's Campus), UNSW Medicine, Australia.
BJPsych Open
September 2025
Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, UK.
Background: Some psychotic experiences in the general population show associations with higher schizophrenia and other mental health-related polygenic risk scores (PRSs), but studies have not usually included interviewer-rated positive, negative and disorganised dimensions, which show distinct associations in clinical samples.
Aims: To investigate associations of these psychotic experience dimensions primarily with schizophrenia PRS and, secondarily, with other relevant PRSs.
Method: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort participants were assessed for positive, negative and disorganised psychotic experience dimensions from interviews, and for self-rated negative symptoms, at 24 years of age.