Psychiatric Disorders among Divorced People in Basrah
Main Article Content
Keywords
Divorce, Psychiatric Disorders, Mental Health, Depression, Anxiety
Abstract
Background: Divorce has been linked to increased psychiatric morbidity; however, studies in regions such as Iraq remain sparse. Despite the known mental health challenges that often follow divorce, the impact within the Iraqi context—shaped by unique cultural changes—demands focused exploration. Aim: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among divorced individuals, identify psychiatric disorders post-divorce, and assess the impact of various sociodemographic variables on psychiatric morbidity in this population. Methods: Employing a case-control design, this study was conducted in collaboration with local courts and psychiatric clinics in Basrah. A total of 154 participants, divided equally between divorced individuals (cases) and married controls, were selected. Data were collected using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and semi-structured interviews, followed by statistical analysis to evaluate the association between divorce and psychiatric disorders. Results: The study revealed a significant prevalence of psychiatric disorders among divorced individuals compared to controls. A notable increase in depressive symptoms was observed in 68% of cases versus 55% of controls. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) was present in 42% of cases, compared to 22.2% of controls. Substance abuse was reported at 8% in cases but was not present in controls. A history of psychiatric illness before divorce was significantly associated with post-divorce psychiatric morbidity (P<0.05). The analysis highlighted a marked difference in the psychological impact of divorce, underscoring the intensified risk of psychiatric disorders among the divorced population. Conclusions: The findings underscore the heightened vulnerability of divorced individuals to psychiatric disorders, emphasizing the need for targeted mental health support and interventions. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the mental health repercussions of divorce and underscores the importance of comprehensive support systems for this population.
References
2. Grant KB, Ray JA. Home, school, and community collaboration: Culturally responsive family engagement. Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage Publications; 2018.
3. Levy BS, Sidel VW. Adverse health consequences of the Iraq War. Lancet. 2013;381(9870):949–58.
4. Gangamma R. A phenomenological study of family experiences of resettled Iraqi refugees. J Marital Fam Ther. 2018;44(2):323–35.
5. Vogt D, Smith BN, Fox AB, Amoroso T, Taverna E, Schnurr PP. Consequences of PTSD for the work and family quality of life of female and male U.S. Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2017;52(3):341–52.
6. Amato PR, James S. Divorce in Europe and the United States: commonalities and differences across nations. Fam Sci. 2010;1(1):2–13.
7. Mendoza JE, Tolba M, Saleh Y. Strengthening marriages in Egypt: impact of divorce on women. Behav Sci. 2019;10(1):14.
8. Odah MH, Bager ASM, Mohammed BK. Studying the determinants of divortiality in Iraq: a two-stage estimation model with Tobit regression. Int J Appl Math Stat. 2018;7(2):45–54.
9. Blbas H. Statistical analysis for the most influential reasons for divorce between men and women in Erbil, Iraq. Int J Malmö. 2019.
10. Hussein HN. Spatial variation in the phenomenon of divorce in the district of Souk Al-Shuyoukh. Res Militaris. 2023;13(2):963–79.
11. Cohen O, Finzi-Dottan R. Reasons for divorce and mental health following the breakup. J Divorce Remarriage. 2012;53(8):581–601.
12. Al Gharaibeh F, Bromfield NF. An analysis of divorce cases in the United Arab Emirates: a rising trend. J Divorce Remarriage. 2012;53(6):436–52.
13. Saleh RH, Luppicini R. Exploring the challenges of divorce on Saudi women. J Fam Hist. 2017;42(2):184–98.
14. Cohen O, Savaya R. Lifestyle differences in traditionalism and modernity and reasons for divorce among Muslim Palestinian citizens of Israel. J Comp Fam Stud. 2003;34(2):283–302.
15. Al-Krenawi A, Graham JR. Divorce among Muslim Arab women in Israel. J Divorce Remarriage. 1998;29(3–4):103–19.
16. Gerstel N. Divorce and stigma. Soc Probl. 1987;34(2):172–86.
17. Krumrei EJ, Mahoney A, Pargament KI. Divorce and the divine: the role of spirituality in adjustment to divorce. J Marriage Fam. 2009;71(2):373–83.
18. Frisby BN, Booth-Butterfield M, Dillow MR, Martin MM, Weber KD. Face and resilience in divorce: the impact on emotions, stress, and post-divorce relationships. J Soc Pers Relat. 2012;29(6):715–35.
19. Lange AMC, Visser MM, Finkenauer C, Kluwer ES, Scholte RHJ. Families in high-conflict divorces: parent outcomes of No Kids in the Middle. J Divorce Remarriage. 2023;64:1–16.
20. Breslau J, Miller E, Jin R, Sampson NA, Alonso J, Andrade LH, et al. A multinational study of mental disorders, marriage, and divorce. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2011;124(6):474–86.
21. Sajit KR, Mohammed QQ. Psychological distress among divorced women in Baghdad: a cross-sectional study. Kufa J Nurs Sci. 2016;6(2).
22. Hald GM, Ciprić A, Sander S, Strizzi JM. Anxiety, depression, and associated factors among recently divorced individuals. J Ment Health. 2022;31(4):462–70.
23. Abdul Kadir NBY, Bifulco A. Vulnerability, life events, and depression among Muslim Malaysian women: comparing those married and those divorced or separated. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2011;46:853–62.
24. Husain N, Gater R, Tomenson B, Creed F. Social factors associated with chronic depression among women in rural Pakistan. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2004;39:618–24.
25. Christian-Herman JL, O'Leary KD, Avery-Leaf S. The impact of severe negative events in marriage on depression. J Soc Clin Psychol. 2001;20(1):24–40.
26. Cohen S, Klein DN, O'Leary KD. The role of separation/divorce in relapse into and recovery from major depression. J Soc Pers Relat. 2007;24(6):855–73.
27. Afifi TO, Cox BJ, Enns MW. Mental health profiles among married, never-married, and separated/divorced mothers. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2006;41:122–9.
28. Teachman JD. Stability across cohorts in divorce risk factors. Demography. 2002;39:331–51.
29. Collins RL, Ellickson PL, Klein DJ. The role of substance use in young adult divorce. Addiction. 2007;102(5):786–94.
30. Lim GY, Tam WW, Lu Y, Ho CS, Zhang MW, Ho RC. Prevalence of depression in the community from 30 countries between 1994 and 2014. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):2861.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Jamal Abdulzahra Muzil, Consultant Psychiatrist, Member of Iraqi Association of Medical Research and Studies (IAMRS)"}
Consultant Psychiatrist, Trainer (Psychiatry)Arab Board of Health Specialization / Iraq. Member at Iraqi Association for Medical
Rafal W. Khalid, CABMS(Psychiatry) Anesthesiologist, Al-Fayhaa Teaching Hospital, Al-Basrah, Iraq
CABMS(Psychiatry)
Anesthesiologist, Al-Fayhaa Teaching Hospital, Al-Basrah, Iraq
Aqeel Ibraheem Al-Sabbagh, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Basra Medical College, University of Basra, Al-Basrah, Iraq. Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychiatry Unit, Basrah Teaching Hospital, Al-Basrah, Iraq
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Basra Medical College, University of Basra, Al-Basrah, Iraq. Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychiatry Unit, Basrah Teaching Hospital, Al-Basrah, Iraq