Citation

Kabir A. Lancet Psychiatry 2022; 9(12): e55.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S2215-0366(22)00378-9

PMID

36403605

Abstract

On Sept 13, 2022, a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini was arrested by the Iranian Guidance Patrol, the religious morality police of Iran's Government, for not wearing a hijab in accordance with Government standards. She died 3 days later, on Sept 16, 2022, in a hospital in Tehran, Iran. Her death has led to widespread protests and riots with the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" in most cities of Iran. Heart-breaking images of the brutal beating of protesters, including pregnant women and children, by military and security forces are circulating on social media and global media outlets. For millions of Iranians watching these events unfold, both from within and outside of Iran, this could lead to experiencing feelings of helplessness. Long-term and repeated exposure to helplessness is a risk factor for depression. Exposure of children to violence can have lifetime consequences. Considering the spread of protests across the country, violent behaviour of security forces, and lack of accountability of the Iranian Government, I am concerned that a large-scale mental health crisis is imminent, with an entire generation of Iranians exposed to a heightened risk of psychiatric disorders.

I call for urgent action by international organisations, including UNICEF and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, to stop this violence through the implementation of bilateral and international obligations and to hold Iran's Government accountable for attacking children, students, and educational and scientific centres...

Language: en