Darya Rostam Ahmed

@koyauniversity.org

Clinical psychology
Koya university



                                   

https://researchid.co/daryarostamahmed

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Clinical Psychology, Epidemiology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Mental health

15

Scopus Publications

113

Scholar Citations

6

Scholar h-index

4

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • How NGO Staff Understand Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and MHPSS Pyramid in Iraq: A Pilot Descriptive Study
    Darya Rostam Ahmed, Mohammad Al Diab Al Azzawi, and Reinhard Heun
    ECO-Vector LLC
    BACKGROUND: The Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Maslow's pyramid) and the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) pyramid are integral frameworks in humanitarian settings whose aim is to address individual and community needs. However, confusion often arises among non-governmental organization (NGO) workers about the application and differentiation of these models.AIM: This study aims to investigate the extent of confusion among NGO workers in Iraq as regards the Maslow's and MHPSS pyramids, identify the causes of this confusion, and explore its implications in the context of humanitarian mental health support.METHODS: A pilot descriptive study was conducted in December 2023 through an online survey involving 61 local NGO workers from MHPSS components in Iraq. We created a measure to assess the participants’ familiarity with both models, their perceived differences, and their views on the models’ applicability in humanitarian contexts.RESULTS: Male participants represented 55.7% (n=34) of the sample, while females accounted for 44.3% (n=27). Most participants were aged 25–34 (57%, n=35) and 35–44 (34%, n=21). A majority held bachelor’s degrees (67.2%, n=41), with 21.3% (n=13) holding master’s degrees. In terms of occupation, 49.2% (n=30) were engaged in the protection sector (gender-based violence and child protection), followed by health (19.7%, n=12), education (4.9%, n=3), and MHPSS staff roles in other sectors (26.2%, n=16). The study revealed that 54.1% (n=33) of the participants struggled to understand or differentiate between Maslow's and MHPSS pyramids. The causes of this confusion were related to perceived structural similarities (18.03%, n=11), lack of awareness and knowledge about the MHPSS pyramid (63.93%, n=39), and a combination of both (18.03%, n=11).CONCLUSION: The study underscores the importance of better training and education for NGO workers to improve their understanding of the Maslow's and MHPSS pyramids. Addressing this knowledge gap can increase efficacy in humanitarian aid provision, ensuring that individual and community needs are adequately met in crisis situations.


  • Psychological scars of genocide: a systematic review of post-traumatic outcomes in Kurdish Anfal survivors
    Harem Nareeman Mahmood, Darya Rostam Ahmed, Sina Neldner, and Frank Neuner
    Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    AbstractThe Anfal genocide, including the infamous Halabja chemical attack, has imprinted deep scars on the Kurdish community in Iraq that lasted for decades. Despite significant historical documentation, the enduring psychological impact on survivors is less examined. This systematic review synthesizes existing research to address this gap. Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines, this review systematically searched databases for scholarly articles examining the mental health of Kurdish survivors following the 1988 Anfal genocide, with a focus on PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Of the initial 201 articles identified, seven met the inclusion criteria. These studies were subjected to a thorough data extraction and qualitative synthesis, and their quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The selected studies encompassed a combined sample of 760 participants, ranging in age from 7 to 92 years. The findings revealed high prevalence rates of PTSD, particularly in children, with a prevalence rate of 87%. In adults, PTSD and depression prevalence rates in unselected samples were estimated at 86.2% and 49%, respectively. Qualitative findings from survivors reveal a complex interplay of depression, intrusive memories, and societal isolation, compounded by poverty and discrimination, with health concerns like respiratory and ocular problems further exacerbating psychological distress. However, non-representative samples and absence of control groups limit result generalization. The literature reviewed indicates substantial psychological distress among the Anfal genocide survivors, underscoring an urgent need for targeted mental health interventions. Future research needs representative samples and validated tools for precise prevalence assessment and comprehensive impact understanding.

  • From Holocaust to Anfal: The impact of genocide and cross-generational trauma on the mental health of Kurds
    Darya Rostam Ahmed
    SAGE Publications
    Genocide attempts are among the most severe traumatic events that are transmitted across generations. However, it may also prove the strength and survivability as well as the vulnerability of the targeted group. Anfal and chemical attacks on Halabja on Iraqi Kurds that targeted their annihilation had a devastating impact. Many survivors and their generations are still dealing with their effects on psychological disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. To address the psychological effects of these tragic events on survivors and their generations and propose the actions to be taken, this article explores the psychological trauma and problems caused by attempted genocide and chemical attacks in the case of Anfal campaign. These effects require more research to fully understand the long-term effects of these tragedies, as well as support and provision of comprehensive psychological and mental health interventions to their survivors and generations.




  • Trauma and mental health problems among Iraqi IDPs following the 2014 ISIS Invasion: a systematic review
    Darya Rostam Ahmed, Sarah Mahmoud Mesbah, Mohammad Al Diab Al Azzawi, and Reinhard Heun
    Informa UK Limited
    This study aimed to examine the mental health issues and trauma faced by Iraqi IDPs post-2014. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, identifying 208 articles. After excluding 190 articles for duplication and ineligibility, we ultimately included 18 studies. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical evaluation checklist was used for quality assessment. Studies involved 5,764 participants from diverse ethno-religious groups including Arabs, Kurds, Christians, and Yazidis. Participants were mostly female (55.5%), male (38.4%), and the smallest and largest study samples were 29 and 1,256, respectively. Ages ranged from 12.18 to 43.34 years. The results revealed a high prevalence of PTSD at 61.9%, with depression and anxiety rates at 49% and 51%, respectively, and suicidal behaviours at 67.5%. Among IDP subgroups, PTSD and suicidal behaviours were particularly high among Yazidi-enslaved girls and women, at 90.6% and 67.55% respectively. Major trauma exposures included forced displacement, encounters with combat and violence, enslavement, and witnessing the death or abuse of relatives. Critical contributing factors to mental health problems were gender (being female), economic instability, prolonged displacement, exposure to combat, experiences of rape and torture, and limited access to services. The mental health support of this vulnerable population is critical.

  • Perceptions and usage of traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and waterpipes among young and middle-aged adults in Iraq: A descriptive study
    Dastan Tareq Faeq, Darya Rostam Ahmed, Izaddin Ahmad Aziz, and Murat Yıldırım
    Informa UK Limited
    Tobacco use poses significant public health concerns, linked to various mental and physical health outcomes. Iraq has a high prevalence of smoking, predominantly with traditional cigarettes, but there is also growing popularity of electronic cigarettes and waterpipes among younger and middle-aged adults. This study aims to explore the perceptions and usage of traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and waterpipes among this population in Iraq. A descriptive study was conducted among 402 young and middle-aged adults (50.25% females), aged between 18 and 45 years, with a mean age of 25.88 (SD = 7.27). For the data collection, an online questionnaire was developed utilizing distribution channels on common social networking platforms. The results showed that 41.79% of respondents have used traditional cigarettes, while 31.1% of participants reported that they use electronic cigarettes. Ninety-four per cent of respondents acknowledged that they use waterpipes. The results also indicated that a significant proportion believe that using electronic cigarettes is either much more harmful or more harmful than traditional cigarettes. Participants commonly perceived all three types of tobacco products as highly harmful, including secondhand smoke, addictive qualities, and popularity among peers. Additionally, significant differences in perceptions emerged between smokers and nonsmokers regarding electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, although no such differences were observed for waterpipes. These findings contribute to understanding the attitudes toward different forms of tobacco use among respondents, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address the perceived harm associated with tobacco products.



  • The epidemiology of self-immolation in Iraq: A systematic review
    Darya Rostam Ahmed
    SAGE Publications
    Background: Self-immolation is one of the most brutal suicide methods and is a significant social and medical problem throughout the world. Self-immolation is more common in low-income countries than in high-income countries. Aim: The aim is to evaluate the trends in self-immolation and examine its frequency in Iraq. Methods: The PRISMA guideline was used to conduct this systematic review study. We searched for publications in English, Arabic and Kurdish in PubMed and Google Scholar. A total of 105 publications were identified through the search; however, 92 were eliminated due to duplication and irrelevant content. Finally, 13 full articles were included for data extraction. The inclusion criteria were articles that investigated self-immolation. However, letters to editors and media reports on self-immolation were excluded. The retrieved studies were selected, reviewed and then quality assessed. Results: This study included 13 articles. According to the findings, self-immolation accounted for 26.38% of all burn admissions in the Iraqi provinces and the Kurdistan region, with 16.02% of those occurring in the middle and southern provinces of Iraq and 36.75% in the Kurdistan region. It is more common in women than in men, especially among young, married, illiterate, or poorly educated people. Sulaymaniyah had a higher percentage of self-immolation than other governorates in Iraq, accounting for 38.3% of burn admissions. Cultural and social norms, domestic violence, mental health problems, family conflicts and financial problems were identified as the most common causes of self-immolation. Conclusion: The prevalence of self-immolation is high among the Iraqi population, compared to other countries, particularly among the Kurdish population and in Sulaymaniyah. Self-immolation is relatively common among women. There are sociocultural factors that could contribute to this problem. Families must be restricted from having easy access to kerosene, and high-risk individuals should have access to psychological consultation to reduce the risk of self-immolation.


  • The mental health of people in Turkey-Syria earthquake-affected areas needs urgent attention
    Sirwan Khalid Ahmed, Kuldeep Dhama, Salar Omar Abdulqadir, Rukhsar Muhammad Omar, Darya Rostam Ahmed, Chiranjib Chakraborty, and AbdulRahman A. Saied
    Elsevier BV

  • The Perspective of Psychological Action Mechanism of MindfulnesMeditation: Mindfulness Meditation Blurs the Transparent Boundary Between the Unconscious and the Conscious Mind
    Darya Rostam Ahmed
    Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
    Based on the author’s clinical experience, the aim of this paper is to conceptually analyse the theory of psychological functioning and action mechanisms in the way mindfulness meditation works. Meditation is a method of revealing unconsciousness. It works in a similar way to the inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms of neurones. Block pathogenic thoughts and emotions that reach the unconscious to the conscious mind. The long-term implementation of mediation may be more effective than the short-term and interrupted implementation.

  • A letter to the editor on the ISIS syndrome
    Darya Rostam Ahmed
    Springer Science and Business Media LLC


RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Trauma and mental health problems among Iraqi IDPs following the 2014 ISIS Invasion: a systematic review
    DR Ahmed, SM Mesbah, M Al Diab Al Azzawi, R Heun
    Medicine, Conflict and Survival 40 (4), 366-387 2024

  • How NGO Staff Understand Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and MHPSS Pyramid in Iraq: A Pilot Descriptive Study
    DR Ahmed, MAD Al Azzawi, R Heun
    Consortium Psychiatricum 5 (3), 62 2024

  • The current global threat of weapons of mass destruction to humanity and public health
    DR Ahmed, M Al Diab Al Azzawi
    Discover Public Health 21 (1), 37 2024

  • Perceptions and usage of traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and waterpipes among young and middle-aged adults in Iraq: A descriptive study
    DT Faeq, DR Ahmed, IA Aziz, M Yıldırım
    Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 1-12 2024

  • Standard guidelines on electronic mental health and psychosocial support for humanitarian assistance
    DR Ahmed, R Heun
    The Lancet Psychiatry 11 (6), 403-404 2024

  • Psychological scars of genocide: a systematic review of post-traumatic outcomes in Kurdish Anfal survivors
    HN Mahmood, DR Ahmed, S Neldner, F Neuner
    Current Psychology 43 (23), 20383-20393 2024

  • From Holocaust to Anfal: The impact of genocide and cross-generational trauma on the mental health of Kurds
    DR Ahmed
    International Journal of Social Psychiatry 70 (3), 621-625 2024

  • A systematic review of the epidemiology of suicide in Iraq and Kurdistan region
    DR Ahmed, R Heun
    Journal of affective disorders 351, 790-798 2024

  • The psychological profile of Iraq: A nation haunted by decades of suffering
    DR Ahmed
    Open Health 5 (1), 20230024 2024

  • Open health: The psychological profile of Iraq: A nation haunted by decades of suffering
    DR Ahmed
    De Gruyter Poland 2024

  • Letter to the editor concerning:“The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence”
    DR Ahmed
    Molecular Psychiatry 29 (1), 205-205 2024

  • The epidemiology of self-immolation in Iraq: A systematic review
    DR Ahmed
    International journal of social psychiatry 69 (7), 1551-1559 2023

  • The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Yazidi people results from ISIS invasion and consecutive trauma: A systematic review
    DR Ahmed, R Heun
    Asian journal of psychiatry 88, 103703 2023

  • The mental health of people in Turkey-Syria earthquake-affected areas needs urgent attention
    SK Ahmed, K Dhama, SO Abdulqadir, RM Omar, DR Ahmed, ...
    Asian journal of psychiatry 84, 103573 2023

  • The Perspective of Psychological Action Mechanism of Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness Meditation Blurs the Transparent Boundary Between the Unconscious and the Conscious Mind
    DR Ahmed
    Psychiatry Investigation 20 (5), 393 2023

  • From curiosity to contribution: reflections of a junior researcher on his journey into mental health research in Iraq
    DR Ahmed
    Global Psychiatry Archives 6 (1), 1 - 6 2023

  • Self-immolation among Kurdish women: causes and solutions
    DR Ahmed
    Burns: journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries 49 (7), 1765-1767 2023

  • Assessment of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Limitations, Needs, and Recommendations in Iraq
    DR Ahmed
    Intervention, he Journal of Mental Health & Psychosocial Support in Conflict 2022

  • A systematic review of Yazidi children and adolescents reveals high rates of mental and psychiatric disorders after the ISIS invasion in 2014
    DR Ahmed
    Global Psychiatry Archives 5 (2), 119-126 2022

  • A letter to the editor on the ISIS syndrome
    DR Ahmed
    Middle East Current Psychiatry 29 (1) 2022

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • The mental health of people in Turkey-Syria earthquake-affected areas needs urgent attention
    SK Ahmed, K Dhama, SO Abdulqadir, RM Omar, DR Ahmed, ...
    Asian journal of psychiatry 84, 103573 2023
    Citations: 22

  • Mental health problems in Iraq: A systematic review
    DR Ahmed
    GLOBAL PSYCHIATRY ARCHIVES 5 (1), 26-35 2022
    Citations: 16

  • The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Yazidi people results from ISIS invasion and consecutive trauma: A systematic review
    DR Ahmed, R Heun
    Asian journal of psychiatry 88, 103703 2023
    Citations: 13

  • A letter to the editor on the ISIS syndrome
    DR Ahmed
    Middle East Current Psychiatry 29 (1) 2022
    Citations: 11

  • Assessment of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Limitations, Needs, and Recommendations in Iraq
    DR Ahmed
    Intervention, he Journal of Mental Health & Psychosocial Support in Conflict 2022
    Citations: 8

  • A systematic review of Yazidi children and adolescents reveals high rates of mental and psychiatric disorders after the ISIS invasion in 2014
    DR Ahmed
    Global Psychiatry Archives 5 (2), 119-126 2022
    Citations: 8

  • From Holocaust to Anfal: The impact of genocide and cross-generational trauma on the mental health of Kurds
    DR Ahmed
    International Journal of Social Psychiatry 70 (3), 621-625 2024
    Citations: 6

  • Observation of Rare Psychosocial and Mental Health Symptoms in ISIS Psychiatric Patients: A Pilot Study Among ISIS Affiliates
    DR Ahmed
    Global Psychiatry Archives 5 (1), 64 - 69 2022
    Citations: 6

  • A systematic review of the epidemiology of suicide in Iraq and Kurdistan region
    DR Ahmed, R Heun
    Journal of affective disorders 351, 790-798 2024
    Citations: 5

  • Psychological scars of genocide: a systematic review of post-traumatic outcomes in Kurdish Anfal survivors
    HN Mahmood, DR Ahmed, S Neldner, F Neuner
    Current Psychology 43 (23), 20383-20393 2024
    Citations: 3

  • The epidemiology of self-immolation in Iraq: A systematic review
    DR Ahmed
    International journal of social psychiatry 69 (7), 1551-1559 2023
    Citations: 3

  • From curiosity to contribution: reflections of a junior researcher on his journey into mental health research in Iraq
    DR Ahmed
    Global Psychiatry Archives 6 (1), 1 - 6 2023
    Citations: 3

  • Standard guidelines on electronic mental health and psychosocial support for humanitarian assistance
    DR Ahmed, R Heun
    The Lancet Psychiatry 11 (6), 403-404 2024
    Citations: 2

  • The psychological profile of Iraq: A nation haunted by decades of suffering
    DR Ahmed
    Open Health 5 (1), 20230024 2024
    Citations: 2

  • The Perspective of Psychological Action Mechanism of Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness Meditation Blurs the Transparent Boundary Between the Unconscious and the Conscious Mind
    DR Ahmed
    Psychiatry Investigation 20 (5), 393 2023
    Citations: 2

  • Letter to the editor concerning:“The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence”
    DR Ahmed
    Molecular Psychiatry 29 (1), 205-205 2024
    Citations: 1

  • Self-immolation among Kurdish women: causes and solutions
    DR Ahmed
    Burns: journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries 49 (7), 1765-1767 2023
    Citations: 1

  • Similar Attitudes Toward Death among Muslims and Christians in Iraq
    DR Ahmed
    Global Psychiatry Archives 5 (1), 83 - 89 2022
    Citations: 1