Psychosocial factors of deliberate self-harm in Afghanistan: A hospital based, matched case-control study

Background: Deliberate self-harm is not only a major global public health problem but also an important index of psychological distress and a risk factor for suicide.Aims: We aimed to determine the psychosocial risk factors for deliberate self-harm in patients aged ≥ 16 years presenting to tertiary care hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan.Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted from February 2015 to May 2015. We recruited 185 cases (patients with deliberate self-harm) and 555 age- and sex-matched controls (patients with general medical conditions) from 4 tertiary care hospitals in Kabul. We developed a questionnaire to record the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, history of domestic violence, drug abuse and details about the act of deliberate self-harm, including the methods used. To assess depression and anxiety, we used the WHO self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20). Matched odds ratios with 95% confidence interval using conditional logistic regression were used to determine statistically significant associations between psychosocial factors and deliberate self-harm.Results: Family conflicts, domestic violence, interpersonal arguments and living in extended families were found to be significantly associated with deliberate self-harm.Conclusions: In Afghanistan, deliberate self-harm appears to be predominately related to interpersonal problems and family conflicts. About two-thirds of females and more than half of males scored positive for depression, yet none were receiving treatment for this. These findings have important policy implications for mental health and suicide prevention programmes in the country

Varicella susceptibility in iran military conscripts: A study among military garrisons

peer reviewedBackground: Promoting varicella vaccination for military personnel and conscripts, as one of the susceptible and high-risk groups, is an important governmental approach in every society. The present study aimed to address the seroprevalence of this infection and its immunization level among Iranian military conscripts. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine seroprevalence of varicella infection and its immunization level among Iranian military conscripts. Methods: Four hundred and sixty-four conscripts, using cluster-stratified sampling, were selected from all military garrisons in Tehran. Seroprevalence of infection among each participant was determined by measuring varicella IgG antibody level via the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The mean antibody titer among the participants was 109.66127.47; 86.9% of studied samples were seropositive. Place of residence could somewhat predict the seropositivity against varicella; seropositivity was significantly higher in participants, who lived in the capital city than those wholived in other regions (OR: 4.008, 95%CI: 0.947 - 16.953, P=0.059). Age, education level, marital statusandduration of military were not associated with seropositivity. Conclusions: Susceptibility to varicella infection is considerably lower among military garrisons in Tehran and is mainly dependent on their place of residence. However, the current study could not provide a comprehensive picture of the immunological status of the varicella in Iran military garrisons, and we suggest further studies in more cities to aid with the design of immunization programs for these individuals

Suicide and deliberate self-harm in Afghanistan

BACKGROUND: Suicide and deliberate self-harm (DSH) are major public health problems globally. There is limited information on suicide and DSH from Afghanistan. AIMS: To review available literature on suicide and DSH in Afghanistan. METHODS: Using online resources and literature on suicidal behavior (suicide, DSH and suicidal ideation) was searched. RESULTS: There were only seven published studies identified on suicidal behavior in Afghanistan. Six of these have been published since 2003 and majority has focused on suicidal behavior in women. CONCLUSIONS: Both DSH and suicide are underreported and understudied subjects in Afghanistan. There is need for more research in this area