BACKGROUND:
In the United Arab Emirates, a rapidly evolving societal landscape suggests a rising mental health burden; however, a population based mental health prevalence is not reported 1-4.

METHODS:
A cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and well-being among a stratified sample of Emiratis and expatriates representing the population of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Three validated and culturally adapted screening tools were utilised: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depressive symptoms and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) for anxiety symptoms.

RESULTS:
A total of 2,019 adults (18–78 years), consisting of 1,016 males and 1,003 females, were included. Most participants reported minimal depressive symptoms (61.4%) on the PHQ-9 and normal mood states (71.5%) on the BDI. Moderate to severe depression was reported by 16.3% of the sample on the PHQ-9 and 11.3% on the BDI. Similarly, most participants reported minimal anxiety (63.4%), followed by moderate anxiety levels (16.7%). Females had higher rates of moderate to severe depression compared to males on the PHQ-9 (29.4% versus 24.6%, p= <0.001) and BDI (18.6% versus 16.9%, p= <0.001). A higher depression severity was observed among participants who were single, had lower income, worked part-time, or were unemployed. Similarly, relationship status, employment status, and income level also influenced anxiety scores. Widowed (31.3%, p <0.001) and unemployed (15.8% p <0.001) participants reported higher levels of anxiety. While income showed an inverse relationship with higher income (more than 40,000) reporting higher anxiety (14.7, p <0.001) Anxiety scores were positively correlated with depression scores as assessed using PHQ-9 (r =0.9, 95% CI = 0.89–0.91) and BDI (r= 0.78, 95%CI = 078–0.81).

CONCLUSIONS:
These findings contribute to understanding the burden of depression and anxiety across demographics informed policy and targeted mental health care.