RIYADH, Feb 16(Arab News): The Ministry of Health is to build a SR350 million mental health hospital in Riyadh with facilities to treat patients with drug addictions, the ministry's spokesman Dr. Khaled Al-Mirghalani told Arab News Tuesday.

“The new facility with 500 beds will be built next to Al-Amal Hospital in Riyadh,” the spokesman said, adding that Al-Amal Hospital also has 500 beds.

Al-Mirghalani said that 16 more mental hospitals are being constructed in various parts of the Kingdom, each with 300 to 500 beds according to the local population. “Currently, we have 18 hospitals in the Kingdom that cater for mental patients and drug addicts.”

Al-Mirghalani said the Kingdom treated 406,724 patients last year with the help of 627 psychiatrists and 3,025 nurses.

“The growing demand for such hospitals in the Kingdom is due to the increase in population,” the spokesman said, pointing out that the population in Riyadh alone has doubled.

With the completion of the new hospitals, the spokesman said the total number of beds for mental patients would be increased from 2,811 to 4,150. In addition to these hospitals, he said the ministry has 94 psychiatric clinics throughout the Kingdom to treat outpatients.

Mental illnesses in general are thought to be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors.

It is more common in people whose biological family members also have a mental illness.

In addition to inherited traits, outside factors such as traumatic brain injury and exposure to viruses or toxins while in the womb can sometimes be linked to mental illness.

Challenging situations in one's life, such as the loss of a loved one, financial problems and high stress, can play a role in triggering mental illness. Life experiences can also be a factor, such as an upbringing leading to poor self-esteem or a history of sexual or physical abuse.

Life experiences can lead to unhealthy patterns of thinking linked to mental illness, such as pessimism or distorted ways of thinking.