Below are the citation and extracts of a new Comment in The Lancet Psychiatry. I note the recommendation 'Develop simple, understandable, and accessible material promoting mental health that is targeted at women' and have invited TelemedAF to join us to help take this forward.
CITATION: Women in Afghanistan: a call for action
Sheikh Shoib et al. The Lancet Psychiatry
Published: March 07, 2022 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(22)00039-6
Armed forces led by the USA withdrew completely from Afghanistan on Aug 30, 2021, and the Taliban has since taken over control of the country, with looming fears of an authoritarian regime that is unlikely to respect women's rights.
Mental health surveys are limited in the current political context of the country, but a recent publication stated that 47% of women were found to have high psychological distress...
As psychiatrists from Afghanistan and regional countries, we urge international intergovernmental organisations, associations for psychiatrists, aid agencies, philanthropists, and mental health advocates to identify the challenges influencing Afghan women's emotional wellbeing. We call for support for recommendations to mitigate this crisis:
- Appoint a committee comprising experts in women's health and mental health including Afghan, south Asian, and international specialists
- Allow participation of representatives from local rulers, global funders, and non-governmental agencies
- Develop simple, understandable, and accessible material promoting mental health that is targeted at women (eg, TelemedAF)
- Establish a toll-free telephone number to obtain psychological first aid and support from counsellors in Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan who speak local Afghan languages and dialects (eg, Dari)
- Train teachers, nurses, and volunteers to provide outreach psychological support and telepsychiatry support for first-contact physicians
- Adapt psychometric instruments to local dialects and develop culturally acceptable psychotherapeutic interventions
- Encourage international collaboration to urge the Taliban to modify their policies towards women's rights and to increase funding for food provisions and health care...
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Best wishes, Neil
Neil Pakenham-Walsh, HIFA Coordinator, neil@hifa.org www.hifa.org
