Mental Health World Conference 2026

Biography

I am Dr. Salah Mahmoud Al Abbasi, a Senior Registrar in Family Medicine at East Jeddah Hospital, Saudi Arabia. My career focuses on integrating mental health services into primary care. I hold professional diplomas in Modern CBT and OCD Management and have led initiatives that increased mental health screening rates by 40%. As an active researcher, I have published on AI in clinical diagnostics and healthcare burnout. I have served as a keynote speaker on Anxiety and Personality Disorders and am a Certified International Trainer in medical education.

Abstract

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) frequently presents a diagnostic challenge in primary healthcare (PHC). Patients often endure a diagnostic delay of over a decade, with many presenting first in high volume clinics with vague anxiety or somatic complaints. In thepressure of busy primary care setting, OCD is often masked by generalized anxiety, leading to misdiagnosis and suboptimal treatment outcomes.  This presentation aims to analyze the clinical  masks of OCD and identify the systemic  barriers in high volume clinics that hinder early detection. We will explore the paradox of   reassurance seeking a common PHC interaction that can inadvertently reinforce OCD  cycles. The session provides a practical framework for family physicians to differentiate between functional worry and pathological obsessions within a brief consultation model. Participants will be introduced to a rapid screening approach designed to  unmask OCD  during routine visits without disrupting clinic workflow. By refining the diagnostic lens of the  family physician, we can shift from symptomatic management to life changing clinical  interventions, significantly reducing the long term burden of this  hidden disorder.