Mental health status among female sex workers in Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Female sex workers are a deprived part of Islamic communities. It is necessary for public health policy makers to have knowledge about their mental health status. This study aims to have an evaluation of mental health among female sex workers in Tabriz for the first time in northwest of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 48 female sex workers who had accepted to be evaluated were included. Sociodemographic and general mental health statuses, using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), were recorded. Those with GHQ-28 score more than 23/24 in the first session were thoroughly interviewed in a second session in order to find out their specific mental disorder, using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis 1 and 2 Disorders (SCID 1 and 2). This study suggests that 62.5% of female sex workers suffer from a mental health problem which is in accordance with previous studies. Mood and anxiety disorder were two of the most common, and there were also records of personality disorders among participants of this survey. There were also high rates of addiction in female sex workers of this study. Based on findings of this study, high rates of mental disorders such as personality disorders, anxiety disorder, and mood disorder were detected among female sex workers in the northwest of Iran. Financial incentive was reported to be the primary motivation for choosing sex work as a source of income.

Mental health problems among female sex workers in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The pooled prevalence of depression among FSWs from LMICs is 41.8% (95% CI 35.8%–48.0%). Seven studies reported on the prevalence of anxiety among FSWs [ 9 , 32 , 33 , 50 , 58 , 64 , 70 ], with 3 included in the meta-analysis ( Fig 3 ). The pooled prevalence of anxiety among FSWs from LMICs is 21.0% (95% CI 4.8%–58.4%).…”

“…The pooled prevalence of psychological distress experienced by FSWs from LMICs was 40.8% (95% CI 20.7%-64.4%). Two studies examined mood disorders [70,74]. Only one study [74] was eligible for inclusion in a meta analysis and thus a pooled prevalence estimate is not available.…”

Factors influencing women’s sex work in a Lebanese sample: results of a case-control study

“…In fact, 19.9% of sex workers in Canada reported having anxiety [17]. Simons et al discovered, in a study conducted on 193 female sex workers in Zurich, that anxiety's effect on these women was 34% [55,56]. Similarly, a study conducted in Iran showed that 39% of sex workers suffered from anxiety, while these rates in Austria were 17% and reached 31% in Israel [56].…”

“…Simons et al discovered, in a study conducted on 193 female sex workers in Zurich, that anxiety's effect on these women was 34% [55,56]. Similarly, a study conducted in Iran showed that 39% of sex workers suffered from anxiety, while these rates in Austria were 17% and reached 31% in Israel [56]. Some female sex workers mentioned that they experienced neglect in their childhood and that carelessness influenced their personality development [57].…”

“…This might be due to the small sample enrolled in this study and to the fact that alcohol use was assessed using a single question (not through a validated scale) with a self-reported answer. Many studies have shown that early exposure to alcohol can be a predisposing factor to becoming a sex worker [56,63]. In addition, many studies relate the higher rates of female workers' alcohol addiction to the fact that it is a coping mechanism used to deal with economic problems and stressful work [64].…”