Building Mental Health Systems

The GCC is building a modern mental health system-expanding access, embracing digital tools, and breaking stigma step by step.

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Mental health disorders are affecting more than 1 billion people worldwide, with anxiety and depression driving major human and economic costs, with annual global productivity losses for these two disorders alone are estimated to be $1 trillion, according to a September report released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

While mental health has become a core part of the $2 trillion wellness economy—especially among millennials and Gen Z-access to effective care remains uneven, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as per a McKinsey & Company report.

A recent Oliver Wyman study estimates that around 80% of mental health conditions in GCC countries go undiagnosed, a stark contrast to the roughly 50% figure in other high-income countries. Limited resources, social stigma, and concentration of services in major cities leave many residents without help.

Vulnerable groups-youth, women, and people displaced by conflict-face the steepest barriers.