TEHRAN – After the coronavirus outbreak, psychological disorders such as anxiety, stress, and depression are increasing in society, Ali Asadi, the deputy health minister, has said.

Depression and suicide are the most common psychiatric disorders, especially in the western regions of the country due to living conditions and deprivation, and of course, the covid epidemic also exacerbated economic and social problems, which has had an impact on the increase of the disorders, he said.

Growing social and economic inequalities, protracted conflicts, violence, and public health emergencies affect whole populations, threatening progress toward improved well-being; a staggering 84 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced in 2021. 

October 10 marks World Mental Health Day 2022 with the slogan "Making Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority".

For this purpose, a booklet in simple language for the general public has been compiled by the Ministry of Health and made available to the universities of medical sciences, so that in this way they can inform and educate the public about healthy relationships with family and children. Take measures to reduce stress and anxiety, and prevent obsessions and other disorders for people in the community, Asadi stated.

Mental health screening is conducted in the healthcare network system, and people are screened for free through comprehensive health service centers and health databases, and electronic files are created for them; In addition, in case of psychiatric disorders, trained general practitioners provide them with pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, he explained.

In these centers, parenting skills, resilience, and self-care are provided free of charge and the quality of services is standard, he added.

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