Attitudes of Primary Healthcare Physicians Toward Depression in Oman

Background and aims: The attitudes of primary healthcare (PHC) physicians are essential for integrating mental health services into PHC. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of PHC physicians toward depression in Oman. Methods: In 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenient sample of 445 PHC physicians working under Oman’s Ministry of Health. The data were collected using a self-administered online form that included the revised depression attitude questionnaire. An independent t-test and multiple linear regression were used to compare mean attitude scores for binary independent variables and to adjust mean scores for different explanatory variables, respectively. Results: The percentage of physicians who showed positive attitudes exceeded 60% for most of the questionnaire statements. The overall attitude score of mean±standard deviation (SD) was 3.56±0.43. In addition, the mean (±SD) scores for the professional confidence, the generalist perspective, and the optimistic view subscales were 3.32 (±0.66), 4.16 (±0.55), and 3.41 (±0.62), respectively. The overall attitude mean score was significantly higher among physicians with previous mental health training (MHT) (P<0.001) and work duration of less than 10 years (P<0.001). Additionally, the scores of physicians with previous MHT were significantly higher across all subscales. Conclusion: The PHC physicians in Oman demonstrated favorable attitudes toward depression. However, there is still some room for improvement to ensure accessibility and quality of care for people with mental illnesses.