Research in mental health in the Arab speaking world 1920 to 2018

Abstract Background The progressive improvement in the educational level of the Arab world has been accompanied by a surge of scientific productivity. Mental health research, especially in the last four decades, is one such endeavor. Mental health research output over almost a century, from 1920 to 2018, is reviewed. Method A literature review was conducted using PubMed, PsychInfo, Cochrane, and the IDRAAC search engine to identify mental health publications over the past 100 years. Trends of mental health research were explored over time with reference to country population and gross domestic product (GDP). Results A total of 3373 articles were retrieved. The three countries with the highest number of mental health publications in the past century are Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and Lebanon, representing together 41.5% of the productivity of all 22 Arab countries. The top producers also had the highest collaboration rates with other Arab countries (20%) as well as non-Arab countries. The top three publishers per capita are Lebanon, Kuwait, and Bahrain. When GDP was factored in, the top three countries are Lebanon, Palestine, and Tunisia. Most publications over the last decade (80%) were in international non-local journals. The leading subjects of research were epidemiology, mood disorders, obsessive compulsive behavior, and mental health services. Conclusion Arab speaking countries have been increasing their mental health productivity over the past 100 years; however, only a handful of those countries were relatively active. Those leaders also had the highest level of Arab and international collaboration. Investing in regional and international collaborations is a solid recommendation of this review.