According to the latest statistics 7.34% of the people need mental health care, but only 18% among them refer to psychiatrists. Untreated mental illness can cause severe family and social conflicts, aggravating problems in the fields of education and career, said Dr. Farbod Fadaee, head of Tehran’s Psychiatric University of Welfare and Rehabilitation.
Since mental illness “cannot be seen with the eye,” it is hard for many people to identify and accept it. For instance, an individual with a broken hand definitely visits a doctor, but someone who is anxious or obsessive will be told that ‘you are not sick and you can control your behavior,’ thus preventing mentally sick individuals from visiting a psychiatrist.
Undetected and untreated mental problems lead to decline in quality of life. “A person with depression eats, works and sleeps almost like everyone else but doesn’t enjoy life,” he said quoted by ISNA.
Treatment Must
Diagnosis and treatment of mental problems is only possible by referring to psychiatrists. Psychologists are responsible for conducting psychological tests and family counseling only. They cannot treat severe mental problems, he stressed.
Fortunately, 80% with mental illness cases are treatable. Due to the development of psychiatry as a subject and psychiatrists’ ability in conducting a variety of medical and mental treatment, mental disorders are surmountable. Even in the most severe cases such as psychosis, approximately 80% of patients recover, Fadaee says.
Statistics of the Iranian Psychiatric Association (IPA) indicate that 21%-25% of Iranians suffer from some kind of psychological disorder or depression, while the number for Tehran residents is 34%.
About 20-25% of the world’s populations suffer from depression, reports say.
