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Iraqis' epidemic of mental illness

Although statistics from international organizations indicate that mental illness is on the rise in Iraq, social stigma prevents patients from getting treated and students from studying psychology and psychiatry.
IRAQ-APRIL 15: Woman walk aimlessly in a courtyard April 15, 2003 at a psychiatric hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. While most hospitals in Iraq are suffering, the psychiatric wards and hospitals have, for the most part, been completely forgotten.  (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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According to statistics from Doctors Without Borders and the World Health Organization, Iraq has become home to psychological illnesses that are getting worse due to the escalation of unresolved security and political issues. However, there are other reasons behind the spread of these illnesses in Iraq, including society itself.

Statistics released by Doctors Without Borders in 2006 showed 18.6% of Iraqis afflicted by psychological illnesses. Iraqi culture, however, perceives anyone who seeks psychological help as "crazy," which increases the number of cases and renders the treatment difficult.

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