Revealing the Obscurity of Attitudes Towards Mental Health Conditions: A Cross-Sectional Study of Attitudes Among the General Population of Iraq

Background: Mental health conditions cause a huge burden on individuals and healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organization, around 970 million individuals worldwide had a mental disorder in 2019. Aim/Question: To explore the attitudes towards mental health conditions among the Iraqi community and determine factors influencing such attitudes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1394 individuals of the Iraqi general population between December 2022 and February 2023 using a self-administered online questionnaire in Arabic, utilising convenience and snowball sampling. The data were analysed using R Statistical Software. Results: In total, 763 (54.73%) individuals had positive attitudes towards mental health conditions. The multivariate regression analysis revealed the males and age group of 46 years, and more were significantly associated with negative attitudes (p = 0.001, p = 0.045 respectively). Discussion: Individuals with mental health conditions experience stigmatising attitudes as in the Middle East jeopardising their treatment and recovery. This is the first study to address the Iraqi population's attitudes towards mental health conditions indicating overall positive attitudes. Implications for Practice: Health promotions must be conducted by educators, healthcare workers and universities to dispel the myths. Future studies with extensive sampling will help clarify the obscurity of mental health conditions in Iraq.