Pakistani women suffer a greater burden from mental health than their male counterparts, losing over twice as many disability-adjusted life years (DALY) to depression than men.
According to a recent study, “The Burden of Mental Disorders in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 1990-2013,” was conducted by an independent global health research centre at Washington University.
It states that Pakistan and Afghanistan – were witnessing an increase in chronic disorders, including mental illness.
“Women in Pakistan lost nearly 1.2 million total DALYs to depression, compared to men’s more than 495,000 DALYs in 2013. Anxiety exhibits a similar gender divide with women in the country losing over 376,700 total DALYs to anxiety while men lost approximately 212,000 DALYs”.
Dr Anwar Rafay, an epidemiologist and co-author of this study suggested that the situation was alarming.
“This is unacceptable and must be addressed by governments, public health experts, and citizens.”
This study is based on findings from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle, US. With more than 2,000 collaborators in over 125 countries, GBD is considered to be the largest and most comprehensive effort measuring epidemiological levels and trends worldwide
The study underscores that the stigma surrounding depression compounds the challenges of mental illness in the region. Stigma, the study said, may cause people suffering with these disorders to remain quiet, leading to underreporting of cases across all income levels.
Additionally, recent data shows that resources allocated to the screening and treatment of mental health services are insufficient to meet the region’s needs.
