Following the publication of a Gallup poll that put the psychological state of Iranians second only to Iraq placing them as the second most depressed peoples, domestic statistics support and compliment that and speak of unprecedented levels and spread of depression. According to an official of the country’s psychology association for every four Iranians there is a person who has some mental illness, and depression is the leading root cause of these disorders.
Last week, Iran’s media published the results of a survey about the spread of depression in the country and which by placing Iran next to Iraq over the mental state of its citizens indicated that even war-torn Syria has a better mental picture.
Writing on the subject, ISNA student news agency wrote, “The Gallup poll says that Iranians are the second unhappy people in the world. Iraq has the privilege of uping Iran in that respect. Following them are the people of Egypt, Greece and Syria. The poll was conducted in 2013 and covered 138 countries. One of the questions in the poll was whether the respondent felt very angry, psychological pressure, sadness, physical pain and anxiety the day before the poll. Gallup said it was understandable why Iranians felt so unhappy because of the high rate of unemployment, inflation and the international sanctions, all of which had a role in the mental state of the nation.
Parviz Mazaheri, the secretary of Iran’s psychology association confirmed this situation and as reported by Bahar News said, “For every four Iranians, there is one who has a mental issue. Hopelessness regarding the future and the lack of understanding of mental issues and disregarding treating this disorder has resulted in ever greater number of people with this illness.”
He continued, “Between 22 to 25 percent of Iranians suffer from some form of mental illness. The psychological issues in the country are like the tip of an iceberg where only the tip is visible. People are afraid of being labeled negatively and so avoid seeing a doctor in this regard. So the statistics published by the ministry of health are really very optimistic. Only one person who suffers from mental issues sees a psychologist or psychiatrist and even among them a meager 10 to 15 percent only continue their treatment until the end.”
According to Bahar News, studies conducted by Tehran Medical Sciences University in 1999 and 2008 showed that there was a 60 percent hike in the number of people with mental issues during this nine year period reaching 34 percent of the population. The country’s economic situation, rapid social turmoil, continues stress and the absence of hope for the future are among the causes that have deepened the people’s mental issues.
In these studies, absence of happiness – deep happiness – for prolonged periods of time, feelings of hopelessness and fear, absence of planning and not having a plan for the next ten years, expression of problems and tensions in society at a repeated and continues level and distrust of the future are cited as the leading causes of depression in Iran.
The study also says that in addition to the above, a lack of understanding of depression and mental illnesses, fear of social stigma and perhaps most importantly the high cost of treatment are issues that further exacerbate the mental state of Iranians.
This report cites the office of mental and social health, and addiction which says that depression is the most common mental issue in Iran, especially among women.
These remarks along with the words of Dr Ali Farhoodian, the head of research on misuse and dependency on drugs from the University of Health Sciences who said during a seminar, “The age at which women start using drugs in the country has fallen tremendously and statistics show that the use of narcotics among women has increased by 500 times. The use of cigarettes, hookah pipes and hashish among young women is rapidly growing. On the other hand, more than 60 percent of Iranian women in prisons are there on charges that are directly related to drug issues. The use of narcotics results in over-work and imposed sexual activity and women engaged in such acts in dangerous situations. There is serious concern that the general culture of the nation may be impacted because of this.”
According to Farhoodian, narcotic drugs have a different effect on women and telescoping is a current addiction issue facing the population, a term used to describe an accelerated progression from the initiation of substance use to the onset of dependence and first admission to treatment. “There are twice as many depressed women as men which is because of addiction,” he said, adding that women are stigmatized more than men when they go public or engage in treatment, which is why they refrain from seeking professional help. Women may also look their income if they become publicly known to suffer from mental illness or if they are seeking treatment.
In a related news report, economist Baizeed Mardukhi spoke of unemployment among people with higher education and said that the poverty income line now stood at 1,800,000 Toman (just over $5,000), figures that are very concerning to even those who have no mental issues.
Rooz online