More than 60 Percent Of Afghans Suffer Stress and Mental Disorders

Scarred by decades of war, social problems and poverty, more than 60 percent of Afghans suffer from pressure disorders and mental health problems, officials warned Sunday. "This is a major problem," Suraya Dalil, Afghanistan's stand-in public health minister, told a ceremony in Kabul on World Mental Health Day.

"More than 60 percent of Afghans are suffering from stress disorders and mental problems."

The population of Afghanistan is estimated at roughly 28 million. "Extreme poverty, insecurity, violence and gender disparities are the major factors contributing to worsening mental health in Afghanistan." The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that more than 60 percent of Afghans, mostly women, suffered from psychosocial problems or mental disordersPublic health ministry spokesman Ghulam Sakhi Kargar Noryghli said the 60 percent estimate dated from a study passed out with the WHO in 2004.

"Since war has continued, poverty or economic problems have increased in some parts of the country. We believe that the number of those suffering from mental illnesses has increased and now it is more than 60 percent,"