Mental Health in Afghanistan : Burden, Challenges and the Way Forward

Afghanistan has been in internal and external strife for more than thirty years. Prolonged conflict and civil war have left millions dead, thousands with disabilities and massive internal and external population displacement. The situation has contributed negatively to every aspect of the country and society as the majority of the population has been traumatized by constant conflict, natural disasters, and the difficult Taliban years. There is ample evidence that these calamities have contributed to an increase in mental health problems and has been further complicated by growing level of drug abuse. As Afghanistan rebuilds itself, it is critical to understand the challenges and develop workable solutions. The paucity of high quality data on mental health problems and the lack of qualified human resources have hampered the development of cost-effective strategies and interventions to address the growing challenge of mental health in the country. There are few mental health facilities, and these facilities are scattered across the country with limited capacity and low levels of coverage. In addition, the population continues to face the main stressors with ongoing conflict in various parts of the country. To address mental health issues on a larger scale, this paper recommends public awareness-raising campaigns as a foremost prerequisite. It also proposes to draw on existing resources efficiently. Achieving the aforementioned objectives require political support by the Government of Afghanistan along with technical and financial support of the development partners. This will allow necessary expansion of mental health services and will build the capacity of mental health clinicians and public health experts in the country.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Sayed, Ghulam Dastagir
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2011-08
Subjects:	ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, ACUTE EPISODES, ADOLESCENTS, AGED, ALCOHOL USE, ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS, ANTI-DEPRESSANT, ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, ANTIDEPRESSANT, ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUG, ANXIETY, ANXIETY DISORDERS, ANXIOLYTIC DRUGS, BASIC HEALTH, BASIC HEALTH SERVICES, BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES, BEDS, BEHAVIORAL THERAPY, BIPOLAR DISORDER, BREASTFEEDING, BURDEN OF DISEASE, CHILD CARE, CITIES, CLINICAL OUTCOMES, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS, COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, COGNITIVE THERAPY, COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY HEALTH, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CARE, COST EFFECTIVENESS, COUNSELING, COUNSELLING, COUNSELORS, CRIME, DEATHS, DEPRESSANTS, DEPRESSION, DEPRESSIVE, DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS, DETOXIFICATION, DIAGNOSES, DIAGNOSIS, DIARRHEA, DISABILITIES, DISABILITY, DISABILITY COMPONENT, DISABILITY-ADJUSTED LIFE, DISABLED PEOPLE, DISASTERS, DISEASE CONTROL, DISEASE DIAGNOSIS, DISEASE PATTERN, DOCTORS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DRUG ABUSE, DRUG USERS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, EMOTIONS, ENURESIS, EPILEPSY, EXTERNALITY, FAMILIES, FIRST AID, FORENSIC MEDICINE, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, HEALTH CENTERS, HEALTH EDUCATION, HEALTH EXPERTS, HEALTH INDICATORS, HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, HEALTH MANAGEMENT, HEALTH ORGANIZATION, HEALTH POLICY, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, HEALTH PROJECTS, HEALTH PROMOTION, HEALTH PROVIDERS, HEALTH SECTOR, HEALTH SERVICE, HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH STATUS, HEALTH STRATEGY, HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH TRAINING, HIGH FERTILITY, HOSPITAL SERVICES, HOSPITALS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, HYGIENE, ILLICIT DRUG USE, INCOME, INFANT MORTALITY, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INTEGRATION, INTERVENTION, LAWS, MAJOR DEPRESSION, MALNUTRITION, MANAGEMENT OF DEPRESSION, MATERNAL MORTALITY, MEDICAL DOCTORS, MEDICINES, MENTAL, MENTAL DISORDER, MENTAL DISORDERS, MENTAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH ACTIVITIES, MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET, MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION, MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES, MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES, MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS, MENTAL HEALTH POLICY, MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS, MENTAL HEALTH STATUS, MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY, MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS, MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING, MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT, MENTAL ILLNESS, MENTAL WELLNESS, MENTALLY ILL, MIGRATION, MILD DEPRESSION, MORBIDITY, MORTALITY, MOTHER, NATURAL DISASTERS, NURSES, NUTRITION, NUTRITIONAL STATUS, PANIC ATTACKS, PANIC DISORDERS, PATIENT, PATIENTS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PHARMACEUTICALS, PHO, POST TRAUMATIC STRESS, POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, PREVALENCE, PREVENTIVE INTERVENTIONS, PRIMARY CARE, PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, PROBABILITY, PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION, PSYCHIATRIC NURSES, PSYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGIST, PSYCHOLOGISTS, PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHOSIS, PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS, PSYCHOSOCIAL PROBLEMS, PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT, PSYCHOSOCIAL TREATMENT, PSYCHOSOCIAL TREATMENTS, PSYCHOTHERAPY, PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG, PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS, PUBLIC AWARENESS, PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, PUBLIC HEALTH, QUALITY OF LIFE, REFUGEES, REHABILITATION, RELAXATION EXERCISES, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS, SCHIZOPHRENIA, SCHOOL HEALTH, SECONDARY CARE, SELF-ESTEEM, SELF-HELP, SELF-HELP GROUPS, SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS, SEVERE SHORTAGE, SLEEP, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIALIZATION, SOMATIC COMPLAINTS, STRESSES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, SUBSTANCE USE, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, TB, TOUCH, TRAUMA, TRAUMATIC EVENTS, TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, TREATMENT, TREATMENT ADHERENCE, TREATMENT OUTCOMES, TROPICAL MEDICINE, TUBERCULOSIS, UNEMPLOYMENT, VIOLENCE, VISION, WELLNESS, WORKERS, WOUNDS, YOUNG CHILDREN,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/08/15525574/mental-health-afghanistan-burden-challenges-way-forward https://hdl.handle.net/10986/13589
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