Adil Lateef
Srinagar, Sept 25: The ongoing turmoil in Kashmir that is now in its third month is threatening the mental health of people in Valley with medicos’ and psychiatrists warning that the unprecedented stressful situation amid bloodshed would leave impact on the psyche of the locals in the region and many are exposed to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Speaking to Excelsior, Doctors’ Association Kashmir (DAK) president, Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said the stress of conflict leaves a definite impact on the psyche of the people. “And, most affected persons are women and children,” he said, adding that those people who see somebody dying in front of them in explosions, firing, pellets etc., keep it in their minds for long suffer from PTSD.
Dr Nisar said that in the ongoing situation, people have seen their loved ones dying in front of them. “There are high chances of PTSD cases in near future. Besides, people are already depressed due to stressful environment,” he said.
According to DAK president, the physicians now-a-days receive patients with anxiety disorder and depression. “We receive lot of patients with such problems,” he said.
Even before the eruption of the ongoing violent unrest, the mental health situation was worse. Nearly 1.8 million adults (45% of the population) in the Kashmir Valley show symptoms of significant mental distress, according to a comprehensive mental health survey conducted by the medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) between October and December 2015.
The MSF report survey concluded that 41% of people exhibit symptoms of probable depression, 26% show symptoms of probable anxiety and 19% show symptoms of probable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, representing 7,71,000 individuals, with 2,48,000 (6%) meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
Noted psychiatrist, Dr Arshad, said the current distress and depression among people in Valley is because of the present situation which, once the situation improves, would reduce. “However, if someone continues to be in stressful situation needs treatment,” he said. Dr Arshad said usually the cases of mental illness come to fore once the situation improve in any conflict zone.
The doctors said that the present unrest exposes pregnant women to considerable stress that puts their unborn babies at significant risk which is also worrisome. “The unrest increases maternal stress and this has been significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Mothers who are stressed out in pregnancy transmit the damaging effects of stress to their unborn babies”, they added.
“The babies born too soon or too small are at increased risk of health problems. Stress hormones activated by maternal stress have the potential to affect child’s brain development and future behavior. Research found that babies exposed to high levels of stress hormones while in the womb had low intelligence quotient (IQ),” the medicos warned.
The psychiatrists and doctors said the restrictions on the movement of people by shutdowns and curfew and communication gag are making people vulnerable to the mental disorders. “By clampdown and gag on communication like internet, you are making people more violent and angrier and they behave violently,” said the DAK president.
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