Human Rights Watch (HRW) has recently reported that Afghanistan is one of those countries in which its nationals have been seriously affected mentally due to armed conflicts for the past 4 decades.
Marking World Mental Health Day, HRW published a report Monday citing the former government’s documents that in Afghanistan, which has been devastated by 40 years of armed conflict, it is estimated that more than half the population, including many survivors of conflict-related violence, experience depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, but fewer than 10 percent receive adequate psychosocial support from the state.
According to HRW, an Afghan resident who was 23 when this organization interviewed him in 2019 was offered no psychological counseling after a suicide bombing attack that killed at least 20 people. He was treated for injuries at the military hospital, but “Nobody came to ask about my mind,” he said. “They only treated my body.” Two years later, he sought help but the trauma remains: “I still have flashbacks, all night I can’t sleep. I get angry easily, [especially] when people make noise. But I was keeping that anger inside, and I was very sad. I don’t know what kind of treatment should be provided but there should be people asking about our needs.”
“Millions of people around the world are experiencing the devastating impacts of war on their mental health, but few receive the support they need,” said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights director at HRW.
Human Rights Watch has called on the Global Mental Health Summit, which is scheduled to be held on October 13-14, 2022, in Rome, is an opportunity for leaders to affirm the mental health impact of armed conflicts and to commit to providing appropriate psychosocial support to all those affected, including women and people with disabilities. Governments, donors, and humanitarian aid organizations should prioritize community-based, rights-respecting services that uphold people’s autonomy and dignity.
Ukraine, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Gaza, Iraq, South Sudan and Syria, in addition to Afghanistan, are countries where the level of mental illness is high.
