A male patient hospitalized at a mental health hospital in Riyadh threatened to commit suicide if he was not released “immediately.” He had previously threatened to divorce his wife for having him admitted to the hospital. He was admitted according to his wife's request because he suffers from severe psychological symptoms and resorted to intermittent drug abuse, Al-Hayat said Monday. The patient's wife requested help from the Public Relations Department and the social workers in the hospital after he threatened her on the telephone that he would divorce her if she did not allow him to leave the hospital. Hamad Al-Otaibi, Head of Public Relations for the Al-Amal Complex for Mental Health in Riyadh said the wife came to the hospital afraid that her husband would pursue a divorce from her. She called for releasing her husband despite his poor psychological condition and the aggressive treatment of his family. Abeer Al-Qassir, a female social worker at the hospital said she talked to the hospitalized patient who threatened to commit “suicide” and divorce his wife if she did not permit his release from the hospital. According to the wife's request they informed the husband that his wife had agreed to allow him to be released. However, they stressed that the matter remained in the hands of medical team, who will decide if he can leave. A sheikh confirmed to the patient's wife that the divorce in this case is null and void as the patient is suffering from a mental disorder and is not in full control of his actions. The doctor in charge said that the patient is suffering from acute mental disturbances and withdrawal symptoms from drugs and his health is unstable. During the past year, Al-Amal Mental Health Complex in Riyadh received 27,848 patients of whom 16,403 were drug addicts.
