Depression is a very common mental health illness characterized by a cluster of signs and symptoms ranging from mood disturbances and sleep or appetite disorders to physical manifestations of the body. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of depression and its related factors among Afghan women. A cross-sectional study was conducted among women between July 14, 2021, to August 15, 2021, in Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Samangan provinces (Afghanistan). A total of 664 Afghan women participated in the study (mean age = 28.85 years; SD ± 11.57). In order to assess depression among participants, the 19-item validated Dari version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale was used. Approximately four-fifths of the sample had depression symptoms (79.1%). Participants with depression symptoms were significantly more likely to (i) be aged over 30 years, (ii) live in rural areas, (iii) have a low-income level, (iv) not have an occupation, (v) have any disease/illness, and (vi) have experienced an event that had mentally affected them in the past month. Considering the high prevalence of depression symptoms among Afghan women, there is a need to integrate mental health services for women in Afghanistan. The use of interventions including regular screening for depression symptoms, and educating women and girls concerning the symptoms of depression for early self-diagnosis are essential.
Background Sleep is a complex physiological process during which the body and mind enter a period of rest. For a healthy lifestyle, different cohort groups can be affected in different ways. One such cohort is healthcare workers (HCWs) – an unexplored group in Afghanistan. Therefore, the present study examined the association between a range of socio-demographic factors including having night shift work and sleep quality among Afghan HCWs.Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered in January 2023 among HCWs (N = 342) in the Herat province of Afghanistan. The survey examined sleep quality and its association with a range of socio-demographic factors among HCWs. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association of sleep quality with socio-demographic characteristics among HCWs.Results Of the 342 participants, 58.5% reported poor sleep quality. Married marital status, having higher number of children, not being a doctor, low economic status, working night shifts, and traumatic event occurring during past month were among the main variables associated with sleep quality among Afghan HCWs. Multiple regression analysis indicated having high income [negatively] (AOR = 4.132, p = 0.002), working night shifts [positively] (AOR = 0.288, p < 0.001), and traumatic event occurring during past month [positively] (AOR = 0.504, p = 0.007) were significantly associated with sleep quality.Conclusion The study suggests the need for Afghan health employers to create a healthy work environment that prioritizes the well-being of their employees by limiting overtime hours, providing rest breaks during long shifts, and ensuring that HCWs have access to necessary resources for coping with work-related stressors. These policies would promote the overall health and well-being of the workforce and would likely lead to better patient care outcomes.
Background Depression is a very common mental health illness characterized by a cluster of signs and symptoms ranging from mood disturbances and sleep or appetite disorders to physical manifestations of the body. The present study estimated the prevalence of depression and its related factors among Afghan women. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among women between July 14, 2021, to August 15, 2021, in Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Samangan provinces (Afghanistan). A total of 664 Afghan women participated in the study (mean age = 28.85 years; SD ± 11.57). In order to assess depression among participants, the 19-item validated Dari version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies–Depression Scale was used. Results Approximately four-fifths of the sample had depression symptoms (79.1%). Participants with depression symptoms were significantly more likely to (i) be aged over 30 years, (ii) live in rural areas, (iii) have a low-income level, (iv) not have an occupation, (v) have any disease/illness, and (vi) have experienced an event that had mentally affected them in the past month. Conclusion Considering the high prevalence of depression among Afghan women, there is a need to integrate mental health services for women in Afghanistan. The use of interventions including regular screening for depression symptoms, and educating women and girls concerning the symptoms of depression for early self-diagnosis are essential.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.