UNB, Dhaka :
Psychiatric disorders among children are associated with malnutrition, low education of fathers and a family
history of mental illness, says a recent icddr,b study. It showed that behavioural disorders were most common among children, but psychiatric disorders were also reported among socially disadvantaged children, such as those living in urban slums in Bangladesh.
On mental disorders among children in Bangladesh, the study reveals that the prevalence of mental disorders is estimated to between 3.4 to 22.9 percent.
The new systematic review, led by icddr,b investigators, examines the current prevalence and trends in the rates of mental health disorders in Bangladesh in order to bridge the knowledge gaps and to point the way towards addressing the burden associated with these conditions.
The study was conducted by icddr,b in association with the National Institutes of Mental Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
The authors collected and evaluated literature on prevalence of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, psychiatric and behavioural disorders, along with comorbidity with chronic diseases and service delivery and treatment options in Bangladesh.
They focused on published articles that presented quantitative data and were published in English between 1975 and October 2013.
The review found that the overall prevalence of mental disorders in Bangladesh is between 6.5 to 31 percent among adults, with psychiatric and psychogenic disorders such as depression, anxiety and neurosis most commonly reported.
The prevalence of mental disorders was much higher in overcrowded urban communities than rural ones, and among the poor. Women were vulnerable across all settings, consistent with findings from other South Asian countries like India and Pakistan. The review found that mental disorders in Bangladesh are a serious but overlooked problem. Better data, awareness and more mental health practitioners are needed to address the unmet needs for mental healthcare.
Chronic diseases and mental disorders are mutually reinforcing – mental disorders can increase the risk of chronic diseases and the intensity of symptoms by deteriorating an individual’s immune system, and chronic diseases can increase the risk of mental disorders.
This study found that a third of patients with diabetes and half of cancer patients had depression. Similar findings were reported among patients with hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
At the same time, lack of knowledge, superstitious beliefs and social stigma prevents individuals with mental health conditions from seeking care. Beliefs that mental disorders are untreatable or the result of evil influences also play a role. Women are both more vulnerable to experiencing mental disorders and less able to access treatment due to their lower social status. The authors stressed the need for more research to better understand the magnitude of the problem in Bangladesh, better access for patients to qualified mental health professionals and mass awareness raising campaigns to reduce misconceptions and stigma about mental health conditions.
Psychiatric disorders among children are associated with malnutrition, low education of fathers and a family
history of mental illness, says a recent icddr,b study. It showed that behavioural disorders were most common among children, but psychiatric disorders were also reported among socially disadvantaged children, such as those living in urban slums in Bangladesh.
On mental disorders among children in Bangladesh, the study reveals that the prevalence of mental disorders is estimated to between 3.4 to 22.9 percent.
The new systematic review, led by icddr,b investigators, examines the current prevalence and trends in the rates of mental health disorders in Bangladesh in order to bridge the knowledge gaps and to point the way towards addressing the burden associated with these conditions.
The study was conducted by icddr,b in association with the National Institutes of Mental Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
The authors collected and evaluated literature on prevalence of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, psychiatric and behavioural disorders, along with comorbidity with chronic diseases and service delivery and treatment options in Bangladesh.
They focused on published articles that presented quantitative data and were published in English between 1975 and October 2013.
The review found that the overall prevalence of mental disorders in Bangladesh is between 6.5 to 31 percent among adults, with psychiatric and psychogenic disorders such as depression, anxiety and neurosis most commonly reported.
The prevalence of mental disorders was much higher in overcrowded urban communities than rural ones, and among the poor. Women were vulnerable across all settings, consistent with findings from other South Asian countries like India and Pakistan. The review found that mental disorders in Bangladesh are a serious but overlooked problem. Better data, awareness and more mental health practitioners are needed to address the unmet needs for mental healthcare.
Chronic diseases and mental disorders are mutually reinforcing – mental disorders can increase the risk of chronic diseases and the intensity of symptoms by deteriorating an individual’s immune system, and chronic diseases can increase the risk of mental disorders.
This study found that a third of patients with diabetes and half of cancer patients had depression. Similar findings were reported among patients with hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
At the same time, lack of knowledge, superstitious beliefs and social stigma prevents individuals with mental health conditions from seeking care. Beliefs that mental disorders are untreatable or the result of evil influences also play a role. Women are both more vulnerable to experiencing mental disorders and less able to access treatment due to their lower social status. The authors stressed the need for more research to better understand the magnitude of the problem in Bangladesh, better access for patients to qualified mental health professionals and mass awareness raising campaigns to reduce misconceptions and stigma about mental health conditions.
