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Mental health in Egypt
1WHO Collaborating Center for Training and Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Kasr El-Nil, Cairo, Egypt. aokasha@internetegypt.com
The Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences
|December 14, 2005
Summary
Mental health in Egypt evolved from ancient mystical beliefs to specialized hospital care. Modern services face challenges, including substance abuse and nascent child psychiatry.
Area of Science:
- Medical History
- Psychiatry
- Transcultural Psychiatry
Background:
- Egyptian mental health concepts trace from Pharaonic times, differentiating Soma and Psyche.
- Ancient Egypt viewed mental disorders as somatic symptoms, treated physically despite mystical causation theories.
Observation:
- The Islamic era treated mental patients humanely, avoiding maltreatment due to beliefs in benevolent spirits.
- Cairo's 14th-century Kalawoon Hospital included a mental disorders department, predating European psychiatric integration by centuries.
Findings:
- Current Egyptian mental health services are detailed, alongside transcultural studies on anxiety, schizophrenia, depression, suicide, conversion, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
- Child psychiatric services in Egypt are underdeveloped.
- Substance abuse, including heroin, has increased since 1983, alongside prevalent hashish use.
Implications:
- Historical perspectives inform contemporary understanding of mental health care evolution in Egypt.
- Transcultural research highlights the prevalence and presentation of various mental health conditions within Egypt.
- Addressing substance abuse and expanding child psychiatric services are critical for future mental health care in Egypt.