by Dr Hamid Rahmanian, Dr Abbas Mohammadinasab, Dr Roman Duncko
Mental illness is common and it affects one in four people. Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder. It has been estimated that depression will become the second most common cause of disability by 2020, next to heart disease[1].
Research has shown many people who die by suicide have a mental illness and depression is one of the most common causes.
In Iran, like in many other countries, stigma is an obstacle to talk about your emotions. In Iran, many people with mental disorder, especially depression present with somatic symptoms.
The Iranian Mental Health Survey (a nationally representative face-to-face household survey with a multistage, cluster sampling design) was conducted from 2010 to 2011 nationwide on 7,886 people in the age-group of 15 to 64 years[2]. The result of the survey is indicating that 12.7% of the general population of Iran are depressed. The prevalence rate of depression was reportedly 15.4% among women and 10.2% among men. The findings of the survey showed that depression affects people with emotional and economic problems more than others. The study also showed that between 22 and 24% of separated couples (both officially and emotionally divorced ones) are depressed. Couples staying together were reportedly happier, with depression rate standing at 12.5% among them. Depression was more common among unemployed individuals. While only 11% of employed people had depression, 16.5% of the jobless reported feeling chronic sadness. Urban living was associated with a higher risk of depression. The findings showed that 13.5% of urban dwellers and 11% of people living in villages were depressed in Iran. The result showed that depression was also linked to the social class of people. About 14.9% of people from lower social classes and 11.7% of people from upper classes suffered from depression.
The observed association between depression and sociodemographic characteristics including gender, marital status and socioeconomic status were in accordance with findings from similar studies in other countries[3]. The findings from the Iranian Mental Health Survey also showed that about 60% of depressed people do not seek professional help from a therapist and about one-third prefer self-medication and home remedies. These results indicated that about 77% of people with a mental disorder do not receive any treatment at all and many discontinue treatment.
110 and 115 are the national emergency numbers for police and ambulances in Iran.
Iran Organization of Well Being (http://moshaver.behzisti.ir/page.aspx?id=1480) has provided the free and governmental hotline, 1480, where specialists give different types of consultations for a variety of problems such as marriage, family, youths and children, suicide, etc. to those in need. The hotline is open from 6 am till 9 pm everyday and its services are reached from all provinces of Iran.
References
[1] Peveler, R., Carson, A., & Rodin, G. (2002). Depression in medical patients. British Medical Journal, 325(7356), 149
[2] Rahimi-Movaghar, A., Amin-Esmaeili, M., Sharifi, V., Hajebi, A., Radgoodarzi, R., Hefazi, M., & Motevalian, A. (2014). Iranian Mental Health Survey: Design and Field Proced. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, 9(2), 96–109.
[3] Kessler, R. C., & Bromet, E. J. (2013). The epidemiology of depression across cultures. Annual review of public health, 34, 119-138.
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