Despite the significant wealth and resources of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Qatar, the region continues to face a substantial mental health burden and unmet healthcare needs. Understanding the barriers to accessing mental health services is essential for developing effective policy interventions. Given the limited research on this topic in Arab and Muslim countries, this qualitative study addresses a critical gap in the existing literature. In-depth interviews with people who suffer or have suffered from mental health issues were conducted to learn their perspectives on access to mental health services in Qatar. Thematic analysis, combining deductive and inductive coding, indicates that barriers to access can be grouped into three interrelated categories: socio-cultural, health system, and those that lie at the intersection of the two. Socio-cultural barriers include a patient’s limited mental health literacy, stigma (i.e. apprehension about public perception and feeling personally ashamed), and traditional gender roles, which, though for different reasons, prove to be a barrier for both men and women. Health system barriers include difficulty in navigating the health system, wait times and “depressing” mental health care facilities. At the intersection of the two categories, patients spoke of the difficulty of choosing a health care provider because providers who shared their cultural background often recommended religious practice as treatment, which was counterproductive. On the other hand, it was difficult for “foreign” providers to relate. Finally, informed by patients’ perspectives and supporting evidence, the chapter offers preliminary recommendations for policy changes that are both patient-centred and patient-driven.