Ever-increasing food-prices and general economic hardship in Iran, with daily reports of gangs attacking people in broad daylight and grabbing their money and food, have led to a dramatic increase in mental illness.

According to the Ghanoon website, senior heath ministry advisor Dr. Abbas Ali Nasehi says numbers of people disturbed enough to require medical attention has risen by 23.6%. Meanwhile the Iranian Psychiatrists Organisation told the website: “Economic problems are one of the main causes of mental illness. People whose earnings fail to meet their expenditure suffer from stress, anxiety and aggression, which in turn damage their family relationships. Over the past ten years we have witnessed more and more harmful situations stemming from spiralling inflation and poverty, leading to an increase in mental illness.”

Source: Shahrzadnews