Damascus - Exhausted by four years of war and economic hardship, Syrians are suffering from an epidemic of mental illness, from suicidal adults to children plagued by recurring nightmares.
The number of Syrians with mental disorders has increased by a quarter since 2011, the health ministry said last month, revealing the extent of the damage for the first time.
Forty percent of Syrians are in need of psychosocial support and there has been a surge in suicide attempts.
In a clinic in the centre of Damascus, a 55-year-old woman complained of chest pain and heart palpitations, but her cardiologist insisted it was not heart disease.
She suddenly burst into tears, the doctor recounted.
"Two of my sons have died in the fighting. My third son is in prison and I haven't heard anything from him," she told him.
The doctor said four out of 10 patients who consult him -- often displaced individuals whose quality of life has worsened dramatically -- suffer from mental illness.
"They are depressed and anxious because of the conflict, and this sometimes translates into psychosomatic symptoms," he told AFP, asking not to be named.
AFP
