41% depression, 26% anxiety, 19% PTSD – highest in any Indian region
Kashmir, often described as a paradise on earth, has been plagued by conflict for decades. While discussions about the region usually focus on geopolitics, an overlooked yet urgent issue is the mental health crisis among its people. Studies show that nearly half of the adult population suffers from mental distress, with many experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The result is a low happiness index, as daily life remains overshadowed by anxiety, trauma, and loss.
Good mental health is crucial for personal well-being, economic productivity, and social stability. It helps people form relationships, pursue goals, and contribute positively to their communities. Societies with better mental health systems tend to have lower healthcare costs, higher life satisfaction, and stronger resilience to crises. On the other hand, poor mental health leads to increased physical health issues, lower productivity, and higher rates of substance abuse.
In Kashmir, where decades of conflict have left deep scars, the mental health crisis has reached alarming levels, affecting both individuals and the broader social fabric. The roots of this crisis can be traced to a series of political upheavals. Generations have grown up in an environment of fear, uncertainty, and grief, making trauma an inescapable reality in everyday life.
The Mental Health Crisis in Kashmir: A Statistical Perspective
- A 2024 community-based survey in rural Kashmir, published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry, found that 11.3% of adults suffer from mental illness, with depressive (8.4%) and anxiety disorders (5.1%) being most common. Women are more affected (12.9%) than men (8.4%). Alarmingly, only 12.6% seek treatment, highlighting a severe gap in mental health care due to limited services, stigma, and ongoing conflict.
- The Tele MANAS helpline in Jammu and Kashmir has received 12.42 per cent emergency calls, far higher than the 3.5 per cent recorded nationwide. With most (84.3 per cent) aged 18-45. The helpline has handled thousands of cases related to anxiety, sadness, palpitations, substance use, aggression, and self-harm, highlighting the region’s severe mental health crisis.
- A 2015 survey conducted in all the districts of Kashmir found that:
41% of adults suffer from probable depression, 26% have probable anxiety-related disorders, and 19% experience PTSD symptoms.
This means nearly one in five adults, around 771,000 people, live with PTSD, while 248,000 meet the full diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Chronic exposure to violence, loss, and economic instability has created an environment where stress and despair are the norm. A significant number of people report suicidal thoughts, reflecting the deep psychological wounds that remain unaddressed.
What is Causing Poor Mental Health in Kashmir?
- Conflict and Trauma
The prolonged conflict in Kashmir has deeply impacted mental health. Research shows that an average Kashmiri adult has witnessed or experienced 7.7 traumatic events. Nearly 93% of the population has endured some form of conflict-related trauma.
The situation has only grown more complex in recent years, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370. With a strong sense of unpredictability looming over the region, the collective anxiety of the people has deepened. The weight of these experiences, coupled with limited access to mental health support, continues to shape the emotional well-being of Kashmir’s population.
PTSD is a long-term consequence of persistent fear, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and distrust, making it difficult to rebuild a sense of normalcy.
- Economic Struggles and Unemployment
High unemployment and limited career opportunities have added another layer of distress, particularly for young Kashmiris. The uncertainty about the future, combined with financial instability, has increased feelings of frustration, anxiety, and hopelessness.
Beyond the direct consequences of violence, the region’s prolonged instability has also led to severe economic struggles, further exacerbating mental health issues. It has disrupted businesses, education, and employment opportunities. Unemployment remains alarmingly high, especially among the youth, many of whom find themselves trapped in a cycle of uncertainty with limited avenues for growth. For many families, the stress of making ends meet while living under constant political uncertainty has taken a significant psychological toll, further entrenching anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness across the region.
- Lack of Access to Mental Health Services
Despite the high demand for mental health support, access to professional services remains limited. The Kashmir Valley has only one major psychiatric hospital in Srinagar, forcing people from rural areas to travel long distances for care. Additionally, the stigma around mental illness discourages many from seeking help.
Coping Mechanisms: Limited Options for Healing
Traditional Coping Strategies
Historically, Kashmiris have relied on community-based support, such as:
Social gatherings (e.g., paends for men, yaarbals for women)
Spiritual and religious practices, including shrine visits and prayers
Storytelling and poetry, which serve as emotional outlets
However, ongoing violence, modernisation, and displacement have weakened these support networks.
Modern Psychological Interventions
Unlike other regions where mental health programs, therapy, and resilience training are available, Kashmir’s mental health infrastructure is underdeveloped. Many conflict-ridden areas worldwide have implemented school-based mental health interventions, community therapy programmes, and resilience training. Kashmir urgently needs similar initiatives to help people cope with trauma.
Trauma is not only experienced by those directly affected but also passed down through generations. Many young Kashmiris have never known life without curfews, gunfire, or political instability. Studies suggest that children growing up in conflict zones are more likely to develop anxiety, depression, and behavioural issues. This inherited trauma further lowers aspirations and contributes to a cycle of distress that is difficult to break.
Kashmir’s mental health crisis is not just an issue of individual suffering; it is a wound carved into the collective soul of its people. The decades of violence, economic struggles, and social disruptions have created a generation that has normalised fear, grief, and psychological distress. The low happiness index is the direct result of unhealed trauma passed from one generation to the next.
What Must Change?
Mental health is as urgent as political stability. No real progress can happen if an entire population is mentally exhausted. Kashmiris deserve more than survival. Well-being should not be a privilege but a right. Ignoring mental health is a silent continuation of the conflict. Breaking the cycle of trauma is the only way to reclaim happiness. Without intervention, future generations will inherit wounds instead of dreams.
To improve the happiness index and overall well-being of the people, urgent interventions are needed. This includes expanding mental health services, promoting awareness, and implementing community-driven support systems. While healing may take time, prioritising mental health is the first step toward building a healthier, more hopeful society.
The writer is pursuing BA (Hons) Journalism at the University of Delhi
Aijaz ul Haq
mo*************@***il.com