I was deeply troubled by this following new item and wanted to understand the facts behind it. Could not find a “Health & Sciety” forum and so posting in this forum. If inappropriate please move to proper location and let me know. Thanks.
Guppies: is this credible? I mean 20% of the population with mental illness? the guy who said it seems to be a qualified doctor in the capital.
*Mental illness is widespread in Pakistan. Some 20 per cent of the population is affected by depression, drug abuse, personality disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders, says Dr Aftab Khan, a practicing psychiatrist in Islamabad. *
a few thoughts, as qualified as the doctor is, is his analysis based on a statisticallly relevant sample? I am not certain. his personal view or the popoulation group he is basing his statement on may not be a representative sample.
Having said that, I would not be surprised if the mental illness levels are high, partially due to the high stress due to law and order situation as well as economic hardships.
At the same time, close knit families and communities are usually less prone to depression vs people who live more solitary lives..and man its hard to get 5 mins alone let alone be in solitude in Pakistan.
Even a highly advanced nation like US has a large % of people suffering from Depression. So, I wouldn't be surprised. I'm sure India will be around the same %.
on a serious note I am not surprised at the 20% stats. It is quite possible. Families are not that closely net anymore and with the arrival of TV and exposure to other cultures, society is feeling a change in India and Pakistan. You won't believe how family members go into depression when a daughter or sister gets divorced..this is something new for them. harder to adjust to. An independent son or daughter causes the same amount of anxiety for parents as a retarded dependent one would have.
oh I get it! you guys think it's the other way around? going by events outta isloo that's possible but that's not what the doc said (I can make it a looot funnier ...)
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*Originally posted by Jagjeevan: *
oh I get it! you guys think it's the other way around? going by events outta isloo that's possible but that's not what the doc said (I can make it a looot funnier ...)
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challo bhai, u still did not get it? someone may have to spell it out for you about the 80% deal :D
yaaar chan maahi, PA, abdali,,koi batah day abis ko...kaafi ho gaya :D
It's hard tp put proper figures on mental illness in Pakistan. There are so few Psychiatrists and no proper research. Speaking from personal experience in a Pakistan Hospital Emergency Ward. Most people who came in suffered from stress and anxiety related problems. If those are included under mental disease I would imagine it would be reflected in the stats.
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*Originally posted by ChannMahi: *
An independent son or daughter causes the same amount of anxiety for parents as a retarded dependent one would have.
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Mental illness is widespread in Pakistan. Some 20 per cent of the population is affected by depression, drug abuse, personality disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders, says Dr Aftab Khan, a practicing psychiatrist in Islamabad. <<<<
Mental illness is not caused by depression or drug abuse (this much is known). Mental illness is a complex phenomenon whose causes are not known, and only symptomatic therapies exist today. What else is known that mental illness affects maybe one third of all humans at least once during their life time. Approximately 1% of all humans suffer from schizophrenia. Depression or drug abuse has nothing to do with mental illness.
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*Originally posted by NYAhmadi: *
Mental illness is not caused by depression or drug abuse (this much is known). ..... Depression or drug abuse has nothing to do with mental illness.
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o bhai, put away the health magazines and books from the 70's and get something more recent. Depression is classified as a mental illness. We are talking about clinical depression here. there are many aspects or types of mental illness and clinical depression is one of them.
Fraudz…a mild case of depression (not clinical) is not a cause of mental illness. The sad part is that mild depression has often been misdiagnosed as mental illness (particularly in poor countries). Clinical depression is something different. That’s why the mild cases are not covered under the American with Disability act. In other word, they do no qualify as Mental illness. That's why Social Workers (or therapists) cannot prescribe anti-depressants.
It’s not the 70s research, in fact only last month; researchers at Cambridge linked inadequate diet to anti-social behavior. The problem is that sometimes even anti-social behavior is classified as Mental illness. If someone wants to piss in a subway car in the presence of other people, it does not make that person mentally ill, but only pissed off. Big difference.
Sounds credible to me. I'm surprised they didnt quote a higher percentage (and this goes for people in other countries as well).
If you go through the most updated version of the dictionary on mental illness that psychologists use, you'll be surprised as to whats classified as mental illness these days. Its supposed to have improved from previous decades (as to what society/doctors considers illness).
Ny I understand what you are saying regarding the diff between clinical depression or mild depression because the damn Philly eagles lost..
However the dude quoted is a psychiatrist. I would think he means depression as an illness i.e. clinical depression and not some college student's depression because his 3-3-2-2-4-4- telephone Pyaar did not work out :)
it seemz u r already part of the action 