Stigmatization, Religiosity and Mental Health Help-seeking Attitudes in Saudi Arabia

This study examines the relationships between religiosity, stigma (social, personal, and perceived), and attitudes toward seeking professional mental health help among 275 participants. It also investigates depression recognition using a vignette. Methods: Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman rank-order correlations were employed. Multiple regression analyses tested the hypothesis that religiosity would positively relate to stigma, controlling for demographics. Mediation analyses in Jamovi assessed if stigma mediates the relationship between religiosity and attitudes toward seeking help. Results: 70.9% of participants correctly identified depression. Those who identified depression showed higher personal stigma (Mann-Whitney U = 3389, p = .001). No significant differences were found in social stigma, perceived stigma, or attitudes toward seeking help. Correlation analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between social and personal stigma (ρ(251) = −0.3, p < .001), but no significant correlations with attitudes or religiosity. Multiple regression analyses indicated religiosity did not significantly predict stigma types when controlling for demographics. Mediation analyses showed stigma did not mediate the relationship between religiosity and attitudes toward seeking help. Conclusion: The study found that personal stigma is significantly associated with the recognition of depression, while religiosity does not impact stigma levels or attitudes toward seeking professional mental health help. Addressing personal stigma through mental health education is crucial in improving mental health literacy. Keywords: Mental health stigma, religiosity, help-seeking attitudes, depression, Saudi Arabia