The Saudi National Mental Health Survey: Survey instrument and field procedures

Objectives To present an overview of the survey and field procedures developed for the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS). Methods The SNMHS is a face-to-face community epidemiological survey of DSM-IV mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of the household population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (n= 4,004). The SNMHS was implemented as part of the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative. WMH carries out coordinated psychiatric epidemiological surveys in countries throughout the world using standardized procedures designed to provide valid cross-national comparative data on prevalence and correlates of common mental disorders. However, these procedures need to be adapted to the unique experiences in each country. We focus here on the adaptations made for the SNMHS. Results Modifications were needed to several interview sections and expansions were needed to address issues of special policy importance in KSA. Several special field implementation challenges also had to be addressed because of the need for female interviewers to travel with male escorts and for respondents to be interviewed by interviewers of the same gender. Conclusions Thoughtful revisions led to a high-quality field implementation in the SNMHS.