With the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan, the scope of poverty, hunger, unemployment, and unprecedented migration has expanded. Taliban reprisals against former government officials, civil activists, journalists, and political dissidents have deprived people of a conducive environment for livelihoods and mental well-being. The prohibition of women’s work and the imposition of increasing restrictions against them are among other factors exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and citizens’ mental health issues. In the latest development, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that half of Afghanistan’s population suffers from mental anxieties. A WHO official emphasized in a meeting in Vienna that mental anxieties among 50% of Afghanistan’s population are alarming. The WHO has reported that eight million individuals in Afghanistan grapple with mental health issues. Afghanistan has recently been recognized as the world’s saddest country.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Union, and Japan, held a session titled “Deepening Crisis: Mental health and substance use disorders paralyzing Afghan society” in Vienna, the capital of Austria, with the participation of 140 attendees both in person and via Zoom. In this session, the challenges surrounding mental health and substance use disorders affecting millions of individuals in Afghanistan were discussed. Participants shared their perspectives on addressing these challenges and providing related services through Afghanistan’s policy changes and operational strategies.
Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, stated in this session, “50% of Afghanistan’s population suffers from mental distress, impacting productivity and quality of life. This renders individuals vulnerable to mental health disorders and substance use.” The UN official added that only limited support is available through the country’s healthcare and social care systems. According to her, the WHO, in collaboration with the European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is working to provide services to individuals with mental health issues and substance use disorders through 20 centers and 23 teams across Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the Director of Policy Analysis and Public Affairs at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has emphasized support for farmers and alternative crops to poppy cultivation. He stated, “Supporting poppy farmers with viable alternatives, alongside robust public health measures to treat individuals with substance use disorders, is essential for achieving sustainable solutions in Afghanistan.”
On the other hand, Ms. Raffaella Iodice, the EU Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan, stated that investing in mental health and substance use disorder initiatives globally and in Afghanistan is a shared responsibility requiring joint efforts to enhance efficiency and maximize impact on the health and well-being of millions of affected individuals and their families. Ms. Iodice further emphasized the role of civil society, adding, “Our interventions must be evidence-based and informed by best practices and lessons learned. Here, I stress the vital role of civil society and local communities to ensure that solutions are culturally appropriate and tailored to specific contexts and needs and more sustainable in the long term.”
Mr. Nobuyuki Kikuchi, the head of Japan’s permanent representation to international organizations, has stated, “Ensuring the health and happiness of individuals amid challenges related to drug use and mental health in Afghanistan requires collective action and participation.”
Furthermore, Will Elras, the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Coordinator at the International Medical Corps – Afghanistan, has emphasized the necessity of prioritizing sustainable budget allocation for combating drug use and mental health programs. According to him, empowerment programs supporting mental and social health in Afghanistan must be strengthened.
Participants in this session have also issued a call to action, urging stakeholders to collaborate on evidence-based solutions and support mental health and substance use disorder services in Afghanistan.
However, some citizens of the country argue that multiple factors in the current situation in Afghanistan have led to mental disorders. According to them, the increase in poverty and unemployment, lack of adequate living conditions, continued family violence, and the exclusion of girls and women from education and employment have created a conducive environment for the spread of drug addiction and human trafficking, leading many families to suffer from mental health issues due to separation from their loved ones.
Alongside these factors, millions of girls and women who have been deprived of education, schooling, and employment have faced increasing family violence, with some girls being forced into early and forced marriages. These factors have also contributed to the mental health crisis in Afghanistan.
The absence of mental health treatment centers for patients is another factor contributing to the rise of this illness in the country. Currently, there is only one government-run mental health hospital in Kabul, where patients from other provinces are also transferred.
A source in the healthcare sector expressed concern to the Hasht-e Subh Daily about the current situation, stating that there are no facilities available for mental health patients, and even the Taliban seek to treat drug addicts by force and torture, which contradicts human rights values and medical ethics. This source also complains about the lack of medical treatment centers, saying, “The situation at the mental health hospital is not good. Patients are all hospitalized together regardless of their condition. Imagine someone newly experiencing mental disorders spending day and night with someone in a severe stage of the illness. Where will the condition of the newly afflicted patient end up?”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the mental health status of half of Afghanistan’s population, which, as previously reported in the 2024 World Happiness Report, has been named the world’s saddest country for the seventh consecutive year.
This report, based on Gallup survey data and assessing quality of life, economic conditions, life expectancy, sense of freedom, levels of trust and justice in society, and continued trust in the government, comes at a time when the Taliban, through repression, vengeance, dismantling of the foundations of democratic governance, economic weakening, and creating a humanitarian crisis, have brought freedom and hope for life to the lowest levels among the country’s citizens.
Currently, millions of women and girls have been deprived of their most basic human rights, and political and civil activities are banned in Afghanistan. Anyone speaking against the Taliban’s ideological policies is imprisoned and subjected to torture.
One resident of Kabul, speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, says, “The situation compared to the republic era has completely changed. People have choked their voices in fear of the Taliban. Exhaustion, despair, and poverty are evident on people’s faces. Many who had the means and opportunities have left, and those who remain have all become like the Companions of the Cave (Seven Sleepers), hiding in their caves.”
Many citizens of the country say that the economic crisis and hunger are the headlines of Afghanistan and the world, but no one talks about the mental health crisis that is threatening society with destruction.