Depression Among Afghan Women: A Public Health Concern

Wais Mohammad Qarani*
*Assistant Manager, Surgical Care Co-ordinator, French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC), Kabul, Afghanistan
Periodicity:May - July'2016
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jnur.6.2.6040

Abstract

Depression is one of the main public health concerns, globally which affects both men and women. However, it is found higher in women as compared to men, particularly in countries such as Afghanistan, where cultural and traditional practices, poverty, conflicts, social inequality, and quality of life are the main concerns and contributing factors towards depression. In the Afghan context, women are the front line victims suffering from depression; and it is reported to be almost twice prevalent in Afghan women as compared to the women of its neighbored countries. Depressive disorders have a negative impact on an individual and may lead to functional impairment and contribute towards discrimination and stigma within the community. Therefore, stakeholders have the responsibility to design strategies to address the physical and psychological aspects concerning the wellbeing of the Afghan women.

Keywords

Depression, Afghan, Women, Social, Psychological, Family.

How to Cite this Article?

Qarani, W.M. (2016). Depression Among Afghan Women: A Public Health Concern. i-manager’s Journal on Nursing, 6(2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.26634/jnur.6.2.6040

References

[1]. Amowitz, L. L., Heisler, M., & Iacopino, V. (2003). “A population-based assessment of women's mental health and attitudes toward women's human rights in Afghanistan”. Journal of Women's Health, Vol.12, No.6, pp.577-587.
[2]. Cardozo, B. L., Bilukha, O. O., Gotway, C. A., Wolfe, M. I., Gerber, M. L., & Anderson, M. (2005). “Report from the CDC: Mental health of women in postwar Afghanistan”. Journal of Women's Health, Vol.14, No.4, pp.285-293.
[3]. Eggerman, M., & Panter-Brick, C. (2010). “Suffering, hope, and entrapment: Resilience and cultural values in Afghanistan”. Social Science & Medicine, Vol.71, No.1, pp.71-83.
[4]. Fowler, J. H., & Christakis, N. A. (2008). “Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: Longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study”. BMJ, 337. Retrieved from; http://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/ 337/bmj.a2338.full.pdf
[5]. Gerritsen, A. A., Bramsen, I., Devillé, W., Van Willigen, L. H., Hovens, J. E., & Van Der Ploeg, H. M. (2006). “Physical and mental health of Afghan, Iranian and Somali asylum seekers and refugees living in the Netherlands”. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Vol.41, No.1, pp.18-26.
[6]. Hanania, N.A., Mullerova, H., Locantore, N.W., Vestbo, J., Watkins, M.L., Wouters, E.F., & Sharafkhaneh, A. (2011). “Determinants of depression in the ECLIPSE chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cohort”. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol.183, No.5, pp.604-611. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201003-0472OC
[7]. Husain, N., Chaudhry, I. B., Afridi, M. A., Tomenson, B., & Creed, F. (2007). “Life stress and depression in a tribal area of Pakistan”. The British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol.190, No.1, pp.36-41.
[8]. Li, L., Lee, S. J., Thammawijaya, P., Jiraphongsa, C., & Rotheram-Borus, M. J. (2009). “Stigma, social support, and depression among people living with HIV in Thailand”. AIDS Care, Vol.21, No.8, pp.1007-1013.
[9]. Mirza, I., & Jenkins, R. (2004). “Risk factors, prevalence, and treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders in Pakistan: systematic review”. BMJ, Vol.328, No.7443, pp.794.
[10]. National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 2011- 2012. Afghanistan Living Conditions Survey. Retrieved from; http://www.af.undp.org/content/dam/afghanistan/docs/M DGs/NRVA%20REPORT-rev-5%202013.pdf
[11]. Omidvar, N., Ghazi-Tabatabie, M., Sadeghi, R., Mohammadi, F., & Abbasi-Shavazi, M. J. (2013). “Food Insecurity and Its Sociodemographic Correlates among Afghan Immigrants in Iran”. Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition, Vol.31, No.3, pp.356.
[12]. Patel, V., Flisher, A. J., Hetrick, S., & McGorry, P. (2007). “Mental health of young people: A global public-health challenge”. The Lancet, Vol.369, No.9569, pp.1302-1313.
[13]. Patel, V., Kirkwood, B. R., Pednekar, S., Weiss, H., & Mabey, D. (2006). “Risk factors for common mental disorders in women”. The British Journal of Psychiatry, Vol.189, No.6, pp.547-555.
[14]. Popa, D., Léna, C., Alexandre, C., & Adrien, J. (2008). “Lasting syndrome of depression produced by reduction in serotonin uptake during postnatal development: Evidence from sleep, stress, and behavior”. The Journal of Neuroscience, Vol.28, No.14, pp.3546-3554.
[15]. Rodin, G., Lo, C., Mikulincer, M., Donner, A., Gagliese, L., & Zimmermann, C. (2009). “Pathways to distress: The multiple determinants of depression, hopelessness, and the desire for hastened death in metastatic cancer patients”. Social Science & Medicine, Vol.68, No.3, pp.562-569.
[16]. Rosenquist, J. N., Fowler, J. H., & Christakis, N. A. (2010). “Social network determinants of depression”. Molecular Psychiatry, Vol.16, No.3, pp.273-281.
[17]. WB, (2013). Literacy Rate, Adult Female (% of Females Ages 15 and Above) , Retrieved from; http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
[18]. Whiteford, H. A., Degenhardt, L., Rehm, J., Baxter, A. J., Ferrari, A. J., Erskine, H. E., Charlson, F. J., Norman, R. E., Flaxman, A. D., Johns, N., Burstein, R., Murray, C. JL., & Vos, T. (2013). “Global burden of disease attributable to mental and substance use disorders: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010”. The Lancet, Vol.382, No.9904, pp.1575-1586.
[19]. WHO, (2013). Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP). Retrieved from; http://www.who.int/mental_ health/mhgap/en/
[20]. Wittchen, H. U., Jacobi, F., Rehm, J., Gustavsson, A., Svensson, M., Jönsson, B., Olesen, J., Allgulander, C., Alonso, J., Faravelli, C., Fratiglioni, L., Jennum, P., Lieb, R., Maercker. A., van Os, J., Preisig, M., Salvador-Carulla, L., Simon, R., & Steinhausen, H. C. (2011). “The size and burden of mental disorders and other disorders of the brain in Europe 2010: ECNP/EBC REPORT 2011”. European Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol.21, pp.655-679.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Pdf 35 35 200 20
Online 35 35 200 15
Pdf & Online 35 35 400 25

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.