Residents of Herat province report that more than two years of living under the rule of the Taliban and the dismantling of relative prosperity have left the majority of them afflicted with mental illnesses. Concerns about the increasing mental health problems are shared by officials of the province’s Regional Hospital, who confirm that the number of mental health patients is on the rise. According to these officials, most of the affected individuals are young women and girls who, confronted with the challenges of Taliban-imposed prohibitions and restrictions, have encountered significant mental health issues.
Some residents of Herat province claim that with the Taliban in power, job opportunities and employment prospects have drastically diminished, if not disappeared altogether. They assert that the rise in poverty and unemployment, coupled with fears of reprisals and the extensive prohibitions imposed by the Taliban, has led many young people to suffer from mental illnesses. The Taliban group has also banned all political, civil, and social activities, a prohibition that, according to Herat residents, has further exacerbated the mental health problems among the affected population.
In response to the increasing mental illnesses in Herat province, the mental health department of the Herat Regional Hospital in this province witnesses dozens of daily visits, predominantly from young individuals, especially women and girls.
Adela, a 14-year-old, is among the many patients waiting in the long line at the hospital seeking treatment for mental health issues. Adela’s mother, accompanying her, states that alongside the pressures of poverty and hardship, deprivation of education has led her daughter to a mental health disorder. She says, “It has been two years since my boy became unemployed, and my husband has grown old and fallen ill. The expenses of a family of six cannot be met by an elderly man. During this time, we have become very poor. Our entire family is distressed, and the sorrow of this girl’s lack of schooling has overshadowed us.”
Adela’s mother mentions that her daughter spent the previous year hoping for the reopening of schools, which had a profound impact on her well-being. However, over the past year, she has become disillusioned and nothing seems to bring her joy.
The mother of this education-deprived child, tears in her eyes, expresses concern about her daughter’s difficult situation and uncertain future. She says, “I am bewildered about what to do. I bring Adela to the hospital two or three times a week, and every day her condition worsens. She is not only deprived of education but has also lost the will to live. I wish she were a bit older so she could get married and engage in her married life.”
Adela is not the only one affected by the country’s chaotic situation; it has subjected her to psychological pressure. Not far from the lengthy line of women, many men stand in line to visit a doctor and seek a path to improve their health. In the men’s line, a middle-aged man sits with his young son, appearing to be in a distressed mental state. The man, named Azizullah, reveals that his father was discharged from the hospital yesterday, and his condition worsened again last night.
Azizullah adds, “My father’s lifelong wish was for my brother and me to pursue education. He wanted us to study medicine and engineering. Since our school days, he would refer to me as a doctor and my brother as an engineer. In the university entrance exam of the year 2021, we didn’t score enough to get into a public university, so he enrolled us in a private university. I started studying medicine, and my brother pursued engineering.”
This young man from Herat states that during the previous government’s rule, his father could afford their education and living expenses. However, with the Taliban in power, facing financial setbacks and persistent unemployment, he and his brother were forced to drop out of school. This led to his father experiencing mental health problems, and ultimately, his situation led him to the hospital.
Residents of Herat, affected by unemployment and Taliban restrictions, are experiencing a rise in mental health issues. Dr. Habibullah, an employee of the mental health department at the Herat Regional Hospital, reports an unprecedented increase in patient visits to this department lately. According to him, the majority of patients are young girls who, in addition to poverty and hardship, are facing mental health challenges due to deprivation of education.
Habibullah states, “Compared to last year, there has been a significant increase in mental health patients this year, with daily visits ranging from 150 to 180 individuals. The primary cause is the unpleasant circumstances affecting society.”
The head of the mental health department at the Herat Regional Hospital adds that unemployment and poverty have predominantly affected families, and alongside that, the deprivation of education for girls has led to an increase in mental health issues among them. According to him, the majority of mental health patients are “bedridden girls who have survived schooling, and unfortunately, this enduring situation poses ongoing challenges for families.”
While the daily struggles of life and the despair of the younger generation, especially girls, continue, the Taliban, alongside the perpetuation of restrictions against women and girls, have not presented any plans to improve the living conditions of the people.
