AMMAN — World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10, but in Jordan, visiting a
psychiatrist still carries stigma, and talk about mental illness is a taboo for
many.
اضافة اعلان
Lack of official campaigns to raise awareness about
mental health and the importance of visiting psychiatrists when needed, at a
time when the number of suicide cases is increasing, under difficult economic
and social conditions, is baffling.
Director of the National Center for Forensic
Medicine Majed Alshamaileh told
Jordan News that in the first half of
2022, the center registered 56 cases of homicide (44 males and 12 females), and
65 cases of suicide (45 males and 20 females).
Alaa Al-Frokh, deputy chairman of the Psychiatrists
Association,
told
Jordan News that although mental disorders cannot be directly
linked to crimes, “they are often related to drug and alcohol use, which in
many cases lead to crimes”.
He said that “Jordan lacks interest in mental
health, and especially in serious documentation efforts,” adding that “mental
disorders are more common than we think, but cannot be seen as that due to
stigma and cultural sensitiveness.”
Sociologist Hussain Khuzaie stressed that “stigma
should never be a reason for people to avoid visiting psychiatrists, since
people have to choose between stigma or relief from anxiety and discomfort.”
Atef Al-Qasem, head of the Psychological Sciences
Association and specialist in behavioral psychology, also believes that mental
health services are “hampered by stigma” in Jordan.
He said that mental health services in Jordan “are
still too weak on many levels”, and stressed that the government should work to
guarantee access to mental health services for everyone.
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