One out of two people depressed in Türkiye: Experts

ANTALYA

In a study of adults across six continents, Türkiye, with 54 percent, was the second most likely country to experience depression, anxiety and psychological stress manifesting as physical illness.

In a study conducted by the ROMA Foundation on six continents, gastroenterologists from 33 countries interviewed 73,000 people and examined the relationship between functional digestive disorders and psychology.

According to the study, Egypt ranked first with 60 percent, while 54 percent of the respondents in Türkiye experienced such psychological problems.

Türkiye ranked first in somatization, a condition in which psychological stress manifests itself as physical complaints.

The face-to-face and online survey was conducted in two phases. The first stage of the survey examined digestive complaints and the extent to which psychological stress, such as anxiety, depression and somatization, manifested as physical complaints.

In the second stage, functional diseases of the digestive system were examined. Severe constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, and stomach and intestinal problems were more common in people with psychological problems.

The 40th National Gastroenterology Week and the 11th National Gastroenterology Surgery Congress were held in Antalya between Nov. 21-26.

"We expected these results, but we were also surprised by how much. So 5.5 out of 10 people walking on the street in Türkiye experience somatization, depression and anxiety," Serhat Bor, the president of the National Gastroenterology Week, has said.

"People with anxiety and depression are more likely to suffer from intestinal diseases. These people have more examinations because of anxiety, and as a result, a person may have three colonoscopies unnecessarily," he stated.