With the Taliban’s return to power, a sharp rise in hopelessness has swept across Afghanistan’s younger generation. Many young people say they are experiencing one of the most difficult and demotivating periods of their lives under Taliban rule. Due to the rise of fundamentalism and the spread of Taliban ideology, they are deprived of opportunities for a bright future in a severely restricted and repressive political and social environment. They stress that they are not only mentally and emotionally in crisis, but also unable to progress in any social or cultural spheres. The closure of schools and universities, particularly for girls, is considered one of the harshest blows to Afghan youth. As they say, “In a situation where work is only available to clerics, and educated youth are forced to become their servants, this sense of despair grows deeper and more incurable.”
Elimination of Cultural Spaces
By imposing widespread bans across various sectors, the Taliban have stripped Afghan youth of cultural and recreational spaces. Several cultural figures argue that artistic and cultural activities can serve as healthy outlets for releasing emotions and reducing psychological stress among young people. However, the Taliban have eliminated all such safe and open environments that once made these experiences possible. According to these figures, within the Taliban’s closed and repressive system, despair and psychological pressure among the youth have intensified significantly.
Ferdaws (pseudonym), a cultural figure living under Taliban control, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that in the absence of freedom, cultural spaces lose their meaning. He adds: “In my view, freedom is the fundamental platform for art and culture. When that platform is entirely removed and you are forced to live under constant censorship, any possibility of growth or creativity is taken from you. When political pressure prevents you from being creative, this inevitably leaves the younger generation demoralized and hopeless.”
Mr. Ferdaws, who is also a poet, says that the feeling of hopelessness has now turned into a “national sentiment.” He explains that while people across the country are living in despair, the youth, who ideologically differ from the Taliban’s “madrasa generation,” are more deeply affected in every way. He reiterates, “In a situation where work is only available to clerics, and educated youth are forced to become their servants, this sense of despair grows deeper and more incurable.”
Rising Anxiety and Depression
Some psychologists report that unemployment and fear of the future are spreading among the public, especially the youth. They note that many young people, particularly those who lost employment, education, and social opportunities under Taliban rule, are grappling with feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. According to them, this has led to a surge in psychological disorders such as anxiety and obsessive thinking.
Suraya Yousufi, a psychologist, believes that economic crisis, poverty, unemployment, educational and employment bans, lack of job markets, and increasing restrictions imposed on young people have created major challenges. She explains that these conditions have hindered youth development in various fields, and whatever limited hope they had has been extinguished by these restrictions. Yousufi stresses that this situation has not only led to an increase in suicide among the youth but has also triggered mental health disorders and social issues such as child marriage.
Ms. Yousufi adds that qualified and dedicated psychological counselors can significantly help address these mental health problems—but only if proper access to psychological services is provided. She notes that many people face barriers due to limited resources and systemic restrictions, making it difficult for them to receive appropriate care. She emphasizes the need to raise broad awareness about psychologists and the importance of consulting them, especially for youth, to prevent social stigmas and encourage individuals to seek help without fear.
Virtual Space: A Temporary Refuge or Permanent Escape?
Some psychologists note that amid economic, social, and psychological crises, virtual space has become a temporary refuge for Afghans seeking escape from the harsh realities of life. According to them, the online world is not only a means of connecting to the outside world—it has also become a space where many young people search for peace, entertainment, and even a new identity.
Razwana Rahimi, a psychotherapist, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that young people, at a critical stage in their lives, experience an intensified need for social and emotional connection and are thus in a state of crisis. She states that youth have an urgent desire for belonging, social validation, and instant communication. Social media platforms, she says, meet these needs rapidly through “likes,” comments, and instant messages. According to Rahimi, many young people use virtual platforms to escape loneliness, family pressures, and anxiety, seeking a temporary sense of peace and distraction by watching videos and browsing posts.
The therapist highlights that youth seek identity and recognition in the virtual space. Social media, she explains, provides an easier and quicker platform to fulfill that need. However, Rahimi warns that youth presence on social networks is reducing real-life, face-to-face interaction, replacing deep relationships with shallow online connections. In such a setting, she says, individuals form superficial and performative bonds and present curated versions of themselves. This constant comparison between their “real selves” and “virtual selves” can confuse and negatively affect their mental health, leading to withdrawal, depression, and psychological strain. Moreover, prolonged engagement with social media reduces focus, memory, and personal motivation.
Nezami, another psychologist, states that various factors are now contributing to the rise of anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other mental disorders across Afghan society. According to him, economic instability, growing poverty and unemployment, extensive restrictions on women and girls, and a general sense of alienation have all exacerbated the psychological crisis.
He adds that Afghanistan’s healthcare system has failed to sufficiently address mental health and psychological well-being. He notes that visiting a psychologist or counselor is still not widely recognized as a basic need in Afghan society. He points out that the country lacks an adequate number of trained specialists, and the current healthcare system is incapable of meeting the rising demand for mental health services.
Migration: A Path to Salvation or an Escape from Psychological Collapse?
Many young Afghans say that migration represents an escape from despair and a hope for a better future. According to them, the younger generation is driven to leave Afghanistan in search of relief from hopelessness and economic hardship. They cite extreme restrictions such as the ban on girls’ education, curtailed personal freedoms, and feelings of alienation from the current political structure as driving factors behind their decisions to emigrate.
Jamil, a young man speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, says: “I’m one of those who, before the Taliban takeover, had no plans to migrate. But life’s conditions have cast such a shadow over me that I’ve made up my mind to escape this land and go wherever fate leads.” He adds that the loss of personal freedoms, job restrictions, lack of faith in the future for himself and his family, and systemic ethnic discrimination have all contributed to his and his peers’ decisions to leave the country.
However, Kaleemullah Hamsokhan, a political activist in exile, argues that involuntary migration is a major mistake. He believes that if the youth had collectively stayed in the country, the situation might have been better than endless displacement. He says, “Our generation fell victim to emotions stirred largely by the media. Politically, the space was cleared for the Taliban by draining the country of its human capital.”
An Afghan asylum seeker now living in the United States told the Hasht-e Subh Daily: “The fragments of migrant life portrayed online have nothing to do with reality. There’s a massive disconnect between what people see and what actually exists.”
Similarly, a journalist who recently migrated to France says the portrayal of life abroad on social media is far from reality. “They tricked us with a dream called ‘the West.’ This place isn’t meant for living—we don’t align with their culture, behavior, or religion. All that hardship we endured to get here was in vain.”
International Agencies Report a Surge in Mental Strain
According to a report by UNICEF, over 24% of Afghan children between the ages of 5 and 17 suffer from anxiety, a figure ten times the global average. The report also notes that nearly 15% of these children experience depression.
The World Health Organization has likewise stated that 50% of Afghanistan’s population is grappling with mental health issues.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced that its national mental health assessment in Afghanistan indicates psychological issues are especially acute among women, teenage girls, persons with disabilities, returnees, and internally displaced persons.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
ناامیدی جمعی؛ زخمهای روانی نسل جنگزده در سایه سکوت و سانسور | روزنامه ۸صبح
