Researchers: Sarah Abu-Kaf ¹, Orna Braun-Lewensohn ¹, Ora Nakash², Wisam Maree^3,4

Background: Previous studies indicated high rates of mental health problems among Arab-Bedouin society. Despite the great need for mental health services, previous studies have revealed the underutilization of these services.

Objectives: To examine the barriers and facilitators for the utilization of mental health services among Bedouin Arabs who face high levels of mental distress.

Method: 148 adults who applied for mental health services (the clinical sample), 590 adults who never applied for mental health services and 42 members of professional teams participated in the quantitative study.
In the qualitative part of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants who had never sought mental health services, 11 interviewees who sought and received help from these services, and 15 professionals (family doctors, nurses, social and psychological workers).

Findings: Participants who did not previously contact mental health services reported higher levels of previous exposure to microaggression, instrumental and attitude-based barriers to contacting mental health services and low levels of mental health literacy. No differences were found between the samples in the level of stigma-based barriers. It was found that the level of distress and the level of literacy are significant predictors of the utilization of mental health services.

Conclusions: The presence of instrumental barriers and those related to attitudes, low literacy in the field of mental health, and previous experiences of microaggression constitute barriers to the utilization of mental health services.

Recommendations: It is important to reduce the barriers and experiences of microaggressions and increase literacy in order to promote the utilization of mental health services.

Research end date: 03/2023