One in four people in Lebanon suffer from at least one mental health issue in their lifetime. This figure was among the findings of the latest comprehensive scientific study, by doctors Elie Karam et al, published in 2006 by the scientific journal Lancet. It places mental disorders among the most common health problems in Lebanon. “We now have a waiting list,” says Dr. Ziad Nahas, head of the psychiatry department at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). “We have made headway into breaking down the stigma, but there is still a long way to go.” Stigma, and a lack of awareness around mental health issues, keeps sufferers away from specialists, which often results in improper treatment and medication misuse. “The problem in Lebanon is that a lot of patients seeking treatment for mental health issues do it in primary healthcare structures,” says Nahas. “They may see a general
