title: Suggested avenues to reduce the stigma of mental illness in the Middle East.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stigma toward mentally ill individuals acts as a barrier to accessing care and receiving treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review current evidence pertaining to stigma toward mental illness in the Middle East in order to inform effective and sustainable interventions in this region.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic literature search using the PubMed database and evaluated all identified studies according to specific inclusion criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stigma toward individuals with mental illness does exist in the Middle East. Stigmatizing attitudes are particularly high toward culturally proscribed mental illnesses like alcohol abuse and lower for other disorders such as depression and psychosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose the following initiatives to reduce stigma toward mental illness in the Middle East: (a) educate families to enable them to support their affected relatives, (b) increase cooperation between psychiatrists and faith healers and (c) educate young people in schools to increase their awareness and understanding of mental illnesses and to combat negative stereotypes.
authors: Department of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors: Ahmed M
authors: AM
authors: Sewilam
authors: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Annie M M
authors: AM
authors: Watson
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Ahmed M
authors: AM
authors: Kassem
authors: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Sue
authors: S
authors: Clifton
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Margaret C
authors: MC
authors: McDonald
authors: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Lipski
authors: Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER-Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors: Smita
authors: S
authors: Deshpande
authors: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Hader
authors: H
authors: Mansour
authors: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Department of Human Genetics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA nimga@pitt.edu.
authors: Vishwajit L
authors: VL
authors: Nimgaonkar
mesh_terms: D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008877:Middle East; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping
keywords: Middle East; Stigma; education; interventions; mental illness