A Meta-Analytical Comparison of Depression Prevalence in GCC Countries

Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder that prevents individuals to live a rewarding life. Cross-sectional research observed especially high prevalence rates of depression in female and younger individuals of the Middle East even though these results lack systematic validation. Aiming to systematize previous research on depression, this meta-analysis gathered depression mean scores and prevalence of severity categories in 18,717 adult citizens (M_age = 26.43 years, SD = 9.98, range 19.30 – 54.17) assessed by Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II) in the GCC countries in the last twenty years. Results showed similar and stable prevalence and severity of depression across and within the GCC population throughout the last twenty years. Controlling for associated factors such as age, gender distribution, and student populations, we furthermore found that young and female individuals appeared to be at greater risk for depression. Results might be explained by cultural changes the GCC states went through since the discovery of oil but also by a sampling bias present in the research of mental health in the Arab region. Therefore, results are discussed regarding the socio-cultural change of the GCC states and recommendations for future research are given.