ArticleDiscover mental health2024
Health survey on anxiety, depression, and stress in Afghanistan: A large-scale cross-sectional study amid ongoing challenges.
Article in Discover mental health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Exploring Afghan Refugees' Post-Resettlement Experiences in North America: A Scoping Review.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieres · 2026Article
- Prevalence and factors associated with the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among freelancers in Bangladesh.Discover mental health · 2026Article
- Prevalence and associated factors of prehypertension in Afghanistan: a secondary data analysis of the 2018 STEPS survey.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Carrying what came after: post-migration difficulties and depression among refugees and asylum seekers.Conflict and health · 2025Article
- Psychometric evaluation of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) among Afghans.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Impact of Perceived Unfairness, Uncertainty, and Life Stress on Urban Residents' Health in China: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2025Article
- Exposure to pollution and climate change-induced food insecurity on depressive symptoms among adolescents in rural areas of Afghanistan.Discover mental health · 2025Article
- Assessing burnout and quality of life among residents and fellows in a high-stress environment: a cross-sectional study.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- The mediating role of distress tolerance in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and anxiety in a sample of Lebanese adults.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Response to the comments on "Depression and anxiety symptoms among Afghan war widows and their associated factors: A cross-sectional analytical study".Indian journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Comments on a study titled "Depression and anxiety symptoms among Afghan war widows and their associated factors: A cross-sectional analytical study".Indian journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Article
- "It was really helpful for me, and at the same time it was really tough": a qualitative study among Afghan peer refugee helpers in Greece.BMC psychiatry · 2024Article
- The curvilinear relationship between Framingham Steatosis Index and depression: insights from a nationwide study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
backgroundOne of the most significant events in recent Afghan history is the rise of the Taliban and the war that followed, which had profound impacts on the lives of Afghans. The present study examined the mental health of Afghans living under the Taliban government.
methodsBetween June 5, 2023 and February 12, 2024, a cross-sectional study was conducted among the Afghan population in three key regions of Afghanistan. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS-21) was utilized to assess depression, anxiety and stress of the Afghan population. Ethical permission for this study was granted by the Afghanistan Center for Epidemiological Studies (ACES). Logistic regression models were employed to explore the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and depression, anxiety, and stress among 2,698 participants.
resultsThe prevalence of depression was 72.05%, anxiety was 71.94%, and stress was 66.49%. Multiple regression analysis indicated that gender (being female), economic status (being poor), residency (living in rural areas), education level (being illiterate), being a cigarette smoker, and having experienced a bad event during the past month were significantly associated with depression, anxiety and stress.
conclusionThe findings of the present study show very high levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, most likely reflecting the profound impact of recent political, social, and economic changes. Notably, a significant majority of participants, particularly females and individuals above 35 years of age, reported severe to extremely severe mental health symptoms. The mental health crisis in Afghanistan is a complex and urgent issue that requires a comprehensive and compassionate response.
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