Having a Psychiatric Illness Does Not Mean Inability to Live | Social Stigma Remains the Biggest Barrier to Seeing a Psychiatrist

The head of Tehran's Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital said: Having psychiatric illnesses does not mean being unable to work, study or form social connections. It is these misconceptions and social stigma that make life harder for patients.

The head of Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital in Tehran said: suffering from psychiatric diseases does not mean inability to work, study and establish social relations. It is these false beliefs and social stigma that make life more difficult for patients.

According to Ambassador Arjan, the World Mental Health Day commemoration conference was hosted by Rozbeh Psychiatric Hospital in Tehran today with the slogan "Hearing lived experiences; "Real Voices, Real Change" was held and the head of Rozbeh Hospital, a group of officials from the Ministry of Health and university professors attended the conference and gave a speech.

Dr. Amirhossein Jafari, head of Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital in Tehran and a neuropsychologist, said in this conference: Social stigma, false beliefs, lack of mental health services and high treatment costs put extra pressure on patients, and it is necessary to correct the society's attitude and support these people.

Stating that psychiatric illness does not mean the loss of all one's capabilities, Jafari added: In work experience, we come across people who, despite suffering from these diseases, achieve high academic and professional degrees and have various capabilities. Therefore, the absence of psychiatric illness alone does not mean having mental health, and suffering from mental illnesses does not necessarily mean complete lack of mental health.

In his speech, this psychiatrist mentioned the complexity of the psyche and said: Considering that the psyche is a very complex phenomenon, what we don't know about this phenomenon is much more complicated than what we know about it. Therefore, we have a long way to go to know the soul as we should. A large part of this path remains and mankind has traveled only a small part of this path.

The head of Roozbeh Hospital further emphasized the need to change the society's attitude and stated: People should not avoid talking about their condition and talking to others if they are suffering from psychiatric diseases. These diseases do not necessarily prevent occupational activity, education or social communication.

Pointing to the role of social stigma in making the lives of sufferers more difficult, he said: society's wrong perceptions of psychiatric diseases place an additional psychological and social burden on patients. In addition to this issue, limited access to mental health services, high treatment costs, and drug supply problems also put more pressure on these people.

Emphasizing the collective responsibility in promoting mental health, this psychiatrist added: citizens, families, officials and the media are all responsible for increasing public awareness and supporting people with psychiatric problems, and we must take care of our mental health and those around us seriously. The head of Rouzbeh Psychiatric Hospital emphasized: We must try to improve our own mental health first, and then the mental health of our family, those around us, and society, and by correcting attitudes and supporting people with psychiatric diseases, we should prevent their problems from getting heavier.

He considered the meaning of life as one of the important components of mental health, and referring to the capacity of Iranian culture and literature to help face difficulties, he said: Taking advantage of the rich cultural teachings and literature of the country can help to better understand the meaning of life and face problems more constructively. Verses such as "The two-day round trip didn't go to our destination/ Don't let the situation of the times be the same all the time, be sad" emphasize the transience of difficult situations and the need to maintain hope.

social stigma; One of the obstacles to seeing a psychiatrist

In the continuation of the conference, Dr. Mohammad Reza Shalbafan, psychiatrist and director general of the mental health office of the Ministry of Health, also stated that social stigma is still one of the serious obstacles for people to refer to psychiatrists and psychologists, and emphasized: Recounting the positive experiences of treatment can encourage more people to receive specialized mental health services and expand the field of discussion about this issue in society, especially among families.

Dr. Shalbafan said: Many people recount their negative experiences of receiving mental health services, which is their natural right, but we rarely see people expressing their positive experiences of visiting psychiatrists, psychologists, and working with social workers.

He added: The more we can encourage more people to express their positive experiences, the more ground will be provided to reduce the social stigma associated with psychiatric disorders and expand the conversation about mental health at the general level of society, especially among families.

Pointing to the role of the media in reflecting human experiences and issues related to mental health, Shalbafan said: Today is also named as media day (media; the narrator of invisible sufferings) and the media play a very important role in the narration of invisible sufferings and the transmission of human experiences.

He added: With the expansion of the virtual space, every person can play a media role through the content they publish and be effective in reflecting human experiences and increasing society's awareness.

Director General of the Mental Health Office of the Ministry of Health, referring to the programs of the National Mental Health Week, said: Every year, programs are organized to increase public awareness in accordance with the conditions of the society and the global slogan of mental health. Programs that focus on the narrative of human experiences can provide an opportunity to talk about mental health and people's experience of receiving specialized services.

Shalbafan further appreciated the colleagues of Rozbeh Hospital, including the members of the psychiatry department of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the colleagues of the Vice-Chancellor of Health of this university and said: "Seraj centers of Tehran University of Medical Sciences have very good performance and provide valuable services in the field of mental health."

Shalbafan added: The Office of Mental, Social and Addiction Health of the Ministry of Health is one of the specialized departments of this Ministry, whose main focus is on mental and social health. An area that is an important part of the concerns of today's society.

Setting up an art exhibition in Rozbeh Hospital

At the same time as World Mental Health Day programs were held, a special celebration for patients admitted to Rozbeh Hospital was also held in the open space of this hospital, with music playing and performances by several artists. Also, an exhibition of paintings and works of art is held in this hospital until 22 Mehr. Those interested can visit this exhibition from 9 am to 4 pm.