War Experience, Daily Stressors and Mental Health Among the Inter-taliban Generation Young Adults in Northern Afghanistan: A Cross-Sectional School-Based Study

Razjouyan, Katayoon; Farokhi, Hossein; Qaderi, Farah; Qaderi, Pashtoon; Masoumi, Sayed Javad; Shah, Asghar; Pourhoseingholi, Mohamad Amin; Ahmadi, Attaullah; Lucero‐Prisno, Don Eliseo; Ozaki, Akihiko; Kotera, Yasuhiro; Shah, Jaffer; Negin, Fawzia; Qaderi, Shohra

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.877934

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…In this study, females expressed more concerns than men which is in congruence with other studies in Afghanistan ( 16 ). To date, women report a greater tendency to worry than men and various theories have attempted to explain the gender differences ( 9 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Afghan Health Related Concerns Following the US Withdrawal: Results of a Survey Given via Social Media

Shah

Tokhi

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundThe United States Armed Forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30th, 2021, ending 20 years of war in Afghanistan. This rapid timeline from announcement to withdrawal and subsequent power transfer had profound consequences on the Afghan people, particularly in the domains of health and healthcare.MethodsOn 15 September 2021, we posted an anonymous online cross-sectional survey on social media (Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp groups) to collect data about respondents from Afghanistan. Questions focused on COVID-19 symptoms, concerns, and individual care with a focus on changes related to the United States (US) withdrawal from Afghanistan. The form was composed of 17 questions which included multiple choice, single choice, and numeric options. All questions were optional including demographic data.ResultsOur survey yielded 1,074 responses from the Farsi version and 572 responses from the Pashto version for a total of 1,646 responses. 1,286 (80%) of respondents were in Afghanistan at the time of survey submission. Concerning the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, 26% (412) respondents were extremely concerned and 12% (181) were moderately concerned. A majority of respondents report concerns regarding mental health due to the US withdrawal. 27% (418) report extreme concern, 12% (186) report moderate concern, and 15% (229) report a little concern. There is a significant difference in the proportions of concern (for US withdrawal generally, as well as physical and mental health) across gender. 49% of Female respondents report extreme concern regarding the US withdrawal compared to 22% of Male respondents (P < 0.001). With respect to physical health concerns 36% of Females report extreme concern compared to 16% of Males (P < 0.001). Finally on the mental health concerns, 54% of Females report extreme concern compared to 22% of Males (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe results from this survey are susceptible to the possibility of internal validity and/or external validity. However, we are accepting of those possibilities considering this survey wasn't designed to be bulletproof, but rather serve as a voice for those who can't be heard and to inform the public of the hardships occurring across the globe due to a steadfast retraction of the US footprint from their soil. Our findings indicate salient changes and public health concerns among Afghans following the US withdrawal from the region. These concerns varied across gender and ethnic groups. Our findings may serve as the first step in addressing the health concerns of Afghans following two decades of US military presence. The results should be understood through the limitations associated with a survey study design. Future research and policy aimed at tackling short and long-term health and social concerns in Afghanistan should consider the role of US withdrawal.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Afghan Health Related Concerns Following the US Withdrawal: Results of a Survey Given via Social Media

Shah

Tokhi

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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“…16,[38][39][40][41] Gender differences in depression and anxiety are clearly pronounced in Afghanistan. 38,42,43 These are attributed to the systematic and institutional discrimination experienced by Afghan women in many parts of the country 44 including the system of purdah, a practice of strict gender segregation excluding women from public spaces. 45 Gender difference in mental health issues may also be related to the cultural 'straitjacket' governing the public expression of emotions, discouraging women to reveal forms of despair and men to show fear, grief or doubt, as this would bring shame on the family.…”

Section: Adult Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Afghan mental health and psychosocial well-being: thematic review of four decades of research and interventions

Alemi,

Panter-Brick,

Oriya

et al. 2023

BJPsych open

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Background Four decades of war, political upheaval, economic deprivation and forced displacement have profoundly affected both in-country and refugee Afghan populations. Aims We reviewed literature on mental health and psychosocial well-being, to assess the current evidence and describe mental healthcare systems, including government programmes and community-based interventions. Method In 2022, we conducted a systematic search in Google Scholar, PTSDpubs, PubMed and PsycINFO, and a hand search of grey literature (N = 214 papers). We identified the main factors driving the epidemiology of mental health problems, culturally salient understandings of psychological distress, coping strategies and help-seeking behaviours, and interventions for mental health and psychosocial support. Results Mental health problems and psychological distress show higher risks for women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and youth. Issues of suicidality and drug use are emerging problems that are understudied. Afghans use specific vocabulary to convey psychological distress, drawing on culturally relevant concepts of body–mind relationships. Coping strategies are largely embedded in one's faith and family. Over the past two decades, concerted efforts were made to integrate mental health into the nation's healthcare system, train cadres of psychosocial counsellors, and develop community-based psychosocial initiatives with the help of non-governmental organisations. A small but growing body of research is emerging around psychological interventions adapted to Afghan contexts and culture. Conclusions We make four recommendations to promote health equity and sustainable systems of care. Interventions must build cultural relevance, invest in community-based psychosocial support and evidence-based psychological interventions, maintain core mental health services at logical points of access and foster integrated systems of care.

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“…Due to con icts and wars for the last four decades, the mental health of Afghans has been negatively impacted. In a study conducted in Mazar-i-Sharif, located in northern Afghanistan, in 2022, it was found that girls exhibited elevated levels of anxiety and depression when contrasted with boys (Razjouyan et al, 2022). In a study conducted in 2022, investigating mental health and suicidality among university students in Afghanistan, ndings revealed that 69.7% exhibited clinical indicators of depression subsequent to the Taliban takeover in 2021 (Naghavi et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychometric evaluation of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) among Afghans

Neyazi,

Rahimi,

Mohammadi

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background Depression, anxiety, and stress are psychological mood states that have close relationships. Moreover, they are influenced by situational factors such as living in conflict zones (e.g., Afghanistan). The World Health Organization's assessment suggests that a significant proportion, specifically one-tenth, of the population residing in areas of conflict endure varying degrees of mental health disorders, ranging from moderate to severe. The most used psychometric instrument to assess these mood states is the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). However, the scale has not been validated in Dari, the most spoken language in Afghanistan. Methods A cross-sectional investigation was undertaken between June and September of 2023 across various locales within Afghanistan, aiming to assess the psychometric attributes of the Dari iteration of the DASS-21 instrument. The sample comprised 1318 participants (69% females) with mean age of 32 years. Results Cronbach’s alpha of the total scale was 0.94. Findings indicated a robust and consistent level of test-retest reliability across all three dimensions. All subscales and the overall DASS-21 scale exhibited favorable fit indices supporting the proposed factor structure. Conclusions The Dari version of DASS-21 is a reliable and valid instrument to assess the magnitude of depression, anxiety, and stress among the Afghan adult population. The availability of the Dari adaptation of the DASS-21 will facilitate Afghan clinicians and researchers in the screening of prevalent mental health disorders within the Afghan populace.

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War Experience, Daily Stressors and Mental Health Among the Inter-taliban Generation Young Adults in Northern Afghanistan: A Cross-Sectional School-Based Study

Cited by 14 publications

References 25 publications

Afghan Health Related Concerns Following the US Withdrawal: Results of a Survey Given via Social Media

Afghan Health Related Concerns Following the US Withdrawal: Results of a Survey Given via Social Media

Afghan mental health and psychosocial well-being: thematic review of four decades of research and interventions

Psychometric evaluation of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) among Afghans

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