Understanding Challenges and Design Opportunities for Digital Mental Well-Being in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Mental health is considered a growing and highly stigmatized concern in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Despite the high interest in mobile health (mHealth) in the KSA and its potential to overcome traditional barriers, research on its application in the Saudi mental well-being context is scarce. My thesis reviews the Saudi app market and explores the main opportunities and barriers to the use of publicly available Arabic mental well-being mobile apps in the KSA from various perspectives including mental health clinicians and Saudi individuals, with a particular focus on young Saudi women. Ultimately, this thesis aims to contribute to the current knowledge by providing design recommendations derived from interviews, co-design workshops, development and evaluation of a prototype, to inform the future design of Arabic mental well-being technologies considering values and cultural norms.