AMMAN —
Psychologists estimate that 2.5 million people in Jordan are afflicted with
mental disorders, basing their rationale on a
World Health Organization (WHO)
study which contended that one in four people worldwide is blighted with a
mental illness.
اضافة اعلان
The WHO report,
published on the group’s website, showed that the prevalence of a psychological
disorder was one in eight people in 2019. But the rate soared to one in three
people, or 28 percent, right after the COVID-19 pandemic, partly because of
stress caused by global economic crises, lockdowns, and isolation.
Dr Nael
Al-Adwan, head of the Jordanian Psychological Association (JPA), cited a
summary of global studies on psychological disorders at the opening of the
JPA’s sixth international conference last week.
The meeting was
held in Amman’s Landmark Hotel, where Adwan gave a specific number for Jordan.
“About 2.5 million Jordanians are exposed to a psychological disorder,” he told
the gathering. He did not provide details.
But Dr Alaa
Al-Frokh, a senior specialist in psychotherapy and addiction treatment and the
JPA’s vice president, said that there are no studies specialized in the
psychological aspect in Jordan to determine such a percentage.
“So according to
the scientific standard, what applies to the world applies to Jordan”, he explained.
He told the meeting in a speech that Adwan’s estimate is a representation of
the 25 percent stated in international studies in the field of psychiatry.
Frokh pointed
out that the most common psychological disorder in Jordan, according to his
observation, is anxiety in various forms, whether generalized, or with episodic
panic attacks, different types of phobias, including social or specific
phobias, and/or depressive disorders.
He asserted that the state and society must give
special attention to psychological health. He referred to a government
provision of free services for all those who hold a Jordanian national number
by treating them free of charge in psychiatric clinics.
Adwan, who is
also the director of the
Health Insurance Department at the Ministry of Health,
said in an earlier statement reported by Al-Mamlaka TV that there are 52
state-run clinics providing psychological care scattered across the Kingdom.
According to
Adwan’s statement, there are 135 psychiatrists registered with the JPA, in
addition to 40 specialists in psychiatry in the Ministry of Health.
The psychological impact of government decisions, such as the curfew, was not taken into account, which negatively affected the psychological safety of citizens,
Frokh said
challenges in the sector stem from legislation, laws as well as the social
stigma of taking advice from a psychiatric specialist. He said the JPA asked
the government during the
COVID-19 pandemic to have a psychiatrist sit in a
committee charged with monitoring cases under the pandemic which fell on deaf
ears. He said the JPA sought to assess the impact of the pandemic on the mental
health of citizens.
“The government did
not respond,” he said. “The psychological impact of government decisions, such
as the curfew, was not taken into account, which negatively affected the
psychological safety of citizens,” he said.
Frokh pointed to
the culture of shame being one of the obstacles which may keep people away from
visiting a psychiatric clinic. But he added that through increased awareness,
the situation has begun to improve slightly. “The society still needs more
awareness and education in this regard,” he noted.
Another factor
is the common misconception that psychiatric medication causes addiction, which
could cause a relapse for people who stop taking the medication, according to
Frokh, who dismissed such arguments, insisting on the safety of the drugs, if
taken under the monitoring of a physician.
Frokh said there
was a shortage of specialists providing psychological care. He called for the
gap to be filled and said that Jordan also needs to increase the number of
providers of psychological care and services.
Dr Ziyad
Al-Zoubi, head of the Jordanian Medical Association, confirmed the percentage
stated by Adwan as representative of the situation locally.
Zoubi, who said
he attended last week’s conference, said that the conditions that lead to
psychological disorders and diseases are namely the bad economic situation
domestically, malnutrition, and unemployment and its impact on the individual.
Others include
wars and the unstable political and economic conditions in the region, Zoubi
said, adding that as a result, there was an increase in drug addiction, he
added.
Clinical
psychologist Lourice Khoury said that the presence of personality disorders
causes anxiety and depression. They affect the individual’s life, behavior, and
dealings with the surrounding environment, professionally and personally. He
said the condition may escalate to reach a critical point, leading to the
patient inflicting self-harm by committing suicide, or hurting other.
Khoury said that
she believed that the rate of 25 percent of Jordanians suffering from a mental
disorder is reasonable, and that it may even exceed that in reality.
She clarified
that the treatment period may take long, ranging from several weeks to several
months, depending on the disorder. This may inflict a high cost on patients,
which may lead some to reject treatment.
“We must raise people’s awareness to accept the idea
of a psychotherapist and psychiatrist,” she said. “There is progress compared
to previous years, but the idea that any needy person is labeled in the society
as being insane may lead those in need of treatment to refrain from seeking
it.”
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