Mental health disparities across demographic and social groups in Abu Dhabi

Mental health disparities are increasingly shaped by intersecting demographic and socioeconomic conditions. Anchored in the Social Determinants of Health framework, this study investigates variations in mental well-being among adults in Abu Dhabi using data from the 5th Cycle of the Abu Dhabi Quality of Life Survey (2023-2024), which included over 100,000 respondents. Drawing on a subset of 65,203 adults, we analysed key mental health indicators-such as sadness, anxiety, loneliness, fear, difficulty concentrating, and boredom-across population groups using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. The findings reveal statistically significant disparities by age, gender, nationality, education level, household head status, and employment sector. Notably, youth aged 15-29 reported the highest emotional stress, while females and non-Emiratis exhibited higher negative mental health indicators compared to their counterparts. Non-heads of households and private-sector employees also displayed elevated distress levels, reflecting structural vulnerabilities in occupational and social roles. These results underscore the multidimensional nature of mental health and the influence of systemic inequalities on psychological well-being. The study offers timely, locally grounded evidence to inform targeted mental health interventions and inclusive policy development in Abu Dhabi's rapidly evolving sociocultural landscape.