BAGHDAD - Iraqis have displayed surprising resilience to years of bloodshed but mental health problems often go untreated in Iraq, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a study released on Saturday.

A U.S. soldier takes up position as he guards during the reopening of a school in Baghdad's Hurriya district in this March 5, 2009 picture. (REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen) A mental health survey published in the journal World Psychiatry found mental disorders amongst Iraqis are no more prevalent than in peaceful countries, contrary to what might be expected given the violence unleashed by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and years of war before that.

"Stress levels are high while mental disorders are comparable to other countries. This suggests Iraqis have had to develop coping strategies to survive during the past few decades of unrest," Naeema Al Gasseer, the WHO's representative to Iraq, said in a statement.

"Stress has had an impact on the entire population and conflict has become almost a normal occurrence."

The sectarian violence that nearly tore Iraq apart in 2006-2007 has largely subsided but many Iraqis remain traumatized by those years.

Despite a steep drop in violence, militants still carry out devastating bomb attacks, especially in the volatile north.

The study, which surveyed 4,332 adults, found that 16.5 percent of Iraqis have mental health problems but only 2.2 percent of those had received medical treatment.

"This is a matter of great concern...when you consider the emotional distress experienced by so many during the recent past," Iraqi Health Minister Saleh Al Hassnawi said.

"In Iraq, there is considerable stigma attached to having a mental illness. We must encourage people to come forward and seek the treatment they need,"

The survey also found anxiety and behavioral disorders had afflicted Iraqi women more than men.

Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Angus MacSwan