Understanding depression and suicide rates in the UK in comparison to Pakistan

Aneesa Arshad; Mohammed Taiyyib

doi:10.29333/ejeph/14470

Full Text (PDF)

Aneesa Arshad ¹ ^* , Mohammed Taiyyib ²

More Detail

¹ St George’s University of London, London, UK² King’s College London, London, UK^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This review compares depression and suicide rates in the UK and Pakistan, highlighting disparities and challenges in mental health care. While depression affects one in six individuals in the UK, limited resources, stigma, and funding constraints in Pakistan result in a shortage of mental health professionals, particularly in rural areas. The complex relationship between depression and suicide is explored, emphasizing the need for multifaceted intervention strategies. Disparities in suicide rates underscore socio-cultural and healthcare system differences. While the UK implements comprehensive prevention strategies, Pakistan struggles with underreporting, stigma, and limited access to care. Notably, Thar Desert Region in Pakistan has seen a surge in suicides, reflecting socio-economic challenges. Globally, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mental health gap action program aims to address treatment gaps, yet disparities persist. Collaborative efforts are needed to invest in mental health infrastructure, reduce stigma, and increase awareness, promoting mental well-being globally.

Keywords

mental health
WHO
depression
suicide
mortality

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Review Article

EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT, Volume 8, Issue 2, 2024, Article No: em0155

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/14470

Publication date: 17 Apr 2024

Article Views: 1766

Article Downloads: 1118

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

WHO. Depressive disorder fact sheet. World Health Organization; 2023. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression/ (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Devita M, De Salvo R, Ravelli A, et al. Recognizing depression in the elderly: Practical guidance and challenges for clinical management. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2022;18:2867-80. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s347356 PMid:36514493 PMCid:PMC9741828
Binagwaho A, Senga J. Children and adolescent mental health in a time of COVID-19: A forgotten priority. Ann Glob Health. 2021;87(1):57. https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.3330 PMid:34249619 PMCid:PMC8252973
GBD 2019 Diseases and Injuries Collaborators. Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019. Lancet. 2020;396(10258): 1204-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30925-9 PMid:33069326
Park N. Population estimates for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: Mid-2021. Office for National Statistics; 2022. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2021 (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Worldometers. Pakistan population. Worldometers; 2023. Available at: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/pakistan-population (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Albert PR. Why is depression more prevalent in women? J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2015;40(4):219-21. https://doi.org/10.1503/jpn.150205 PMid:26107348 PMCid:PMC4478054
PRIORY. Depression statistics. PRIORY; 2022. Available at: https://www.priorygroup.com/mental-health/depression-treatment/depression-statistics (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
NICE. QS8 depression in adults 15/09/2023. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; 2023. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs8/documents/previous-version-of-quality-standard (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
WHO. WHO Pakistan celebrates world mental health day. World Health Organization; 2023. Available at: https://www.emro.who.int/pak/pakistan-news/who-pakistan-celebrates-world-mental-health-day.html (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Cameron S, Brown VJ, Dritschel B, Power K, Cook M. Understanding the relationship between suicidality, current depressed mood, personality, and cognitive factors. Psychol Psychother. 2017;90(4):530-49. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12123 PMid:28296207
Riera-Serra P, Navarra-Ventura G, Castro A, et al. Clinical predictors of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide death in depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-023-01716-5 PMid:38015265
Manders B, Kaur J. Suicides in the UK: 2018 registrations. Office for National Statistics; 2019. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2018registrations (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Revie L, John E, Mais D. Suicides in England and Wales: 2022 registrations. Office for National Statistics; 2023. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2022registrations (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Loma Linda University Health. Suicide in Pakistan: Addressing a hidden epidemic. 15. Loma Linda University Health; 2022. Available at: https://ihpl.llu.edu/blog/suicide-pakistan-addressing-hidden-epidemic (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Ilic M, Ilic I. Worldwide suicide mortality trends (2000-2019): A joinpoint regression analysis. World J Psychiatry. 2022;12(8):1044-60. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v12.i8.1044 PMid:36158305 PMCid:PMC9476842
Hindustan Times. Pakistan abolishes colonial-era law that punishes attempted suicide: Report. Hindustan Times; 2022. Available at: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-abolishes-colonial-era-law-that-punishes-attempted-suicide-report-101671808455141.html (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Brahman KD, Kazi TG, Afridi HI, et al. Exposure of children to arsenic in drinking water in the Tharparkar Region of Sindh, Pakistan. Sci Total Environ. 2016;544:653-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.11.152 PMid:26674695
City Population. Tharparkar. City Population; 2023. Available at: https://www.citypopulation.de/en/pakistan/admin/sindh/819__tharparkar/ (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Kohari A. The mystifying rise of suicide in Pakistan’s Thar Desert. Al Jazeera; 2022. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/longform/2022/6/19/the-mystifying-rise-of-suicide-in-pakistans-thar-desert (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Alvi MH, Ashraf T, Kiran T, et al. Economic burden of mental illness in Pakistan: An estimation for the year 2020 from existing evidence. BJPsych Int. 2023;20(3):54-6. https://doi.org/10.1192/bji.2023.4 PMid:37531228 PMCid:PMC10387434
Mahesar RA, Raza ul Mustafa A, Latif M, Azeema N, Rao MA, Ventriglio A. Suicidal hanging in Pakistan: An exploratory two-year content analysis study. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2023.2285313
Khan MM, Reza H. Gender differences in nonfatal suicidal behavior in Pakistan: Significance of sociocultural factors. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1998;28(1):62-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1943-278X.1998.tb00626.x
WHO. World Health Organization mental health gap program. World Health Organization; 2023. Available at: https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/treatment-care/mental-health-gap-action-programme (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
Rathod S, Pinninti N, Irfan M, et al. Mental health service provision in low- and middle-income countries. Health Serv Insights. 2017;10:117863291769435. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178632917694350 PMid:28469456 PMCid:PMC5398308
Moradinazar M, Mirzaei P, Moradivafa S, Saeedi M, Basiri M, Shakiba M. Epidemiological status of depressive disorders in the Middle East and North Africa from 1990 to 2019. Health Promot Perspect. 2022;12(3):301-9. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.2022.39 PMid:36686044 PMCid:PMC9808901
GOV.UK. Suicide prevention in England: 5-year cross-sector strategy. GOV.UK; 2023. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/suicide-prevention-strategy-for-england-2023-to-2028/suicide-prevention-in-england-5-year-cross-sector-strategy (Accessed: 22 February 2024).
NHS. The NHS long term plan. NHS; 2019. Available at: https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-long-term-plan/ (Accessed: 22 February 2024).

How to cite this article

Vancouver

Arshad A, Taiyyib M. Understanding depression and suicide rates in the UK in comparison to Pakistan. EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT. 2024;8(2):em0155. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/14470

APA

Arshad, A., & Taiyyib, M. (2024). Understanding depression and suicide rates in the UK in comparison to Pakistan. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 8(2), em0155. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/14470

AMA

Arshad A, Taiyyib M. Understanding depression and suicide rates in the UK in comparison to Pakistan. EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT. 2024;8(2), em0155. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/14470

Chicago

Arshad, Aneesa, and Mohammed Taiyyib. "Understanding depression and suicide rates in the UK in comparison to Pakistan". European Journal of Environment and Public Health 2024 8 no. 2 (2024): em0155. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/14470

Harvard

Arshad, A., and Taiyyib, M. (2024). Understanding depression and suicide rates in the UK in comparison to Pakistan. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 8(2), em0155. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/14470

MLA

Arshad, Aneesa et al. "Understanding depression and suicide rates in the UK in comparison to Pakistan". European Journal of Environment and Public Health, vol. 8, no. 2, 2024, em0155. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/14470