news details |
|
|
| Confined inside four-walls, Valley children prone to mental disorders | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, May 8: The closure of schools in Kashmir is taking a heavy toll on the mental health of children with experts predicting that children were prone to mental disorders and also affect thier studies.
Since March this year, schools in Kashmir have remained closed for around 35 days owing to protests, holidays, and shutdown calls by the separatists.
The children who are confined inside four walls developed various psychiatric disorders. Symptoms may include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues, attempts to avoid trauma-related cues, alterations in how a person thinks and feels, and increased arousal.
Sana (name changed), a 12-year-old girl from Pulwama has not stopped crying for the last two weeks when she was caught between protestors and security forces. Since this episode, she has not uttered a single word and kept herself confined inside her room. "The violence is taking a heavy toll on our children," said her father, Ghulam Mohammad.
Seeing this abrupt change, her father took her to nearby district hospital where the doctors after examining her diagnosed that she is suffering from post-mental stress disorder. "I brought her to SMHS hospitals after doctors advised that she needs psychiatrist consultation in Srinagar," he said.
According to a survey conducted by Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) says that one in every five adults in Kashmir is living with PTSD.
The study that is being described as a first comprehensive mental health survey in Kashmir has revealed that nearly 1.8 million adults equaling 45 per cent of adult population suffer from mental distress in Valley and a majority of people have experienced or witnessed conflict-related trauma.
The report reveals that depression is the most prevalent disorder in the valley with 41 per cent adults showing its symptoms.
"Nearly 1 in 5 adults (19%) in the Kashmir Valley is living with significant PTSD symptoms, representing 7,71,000 individuals, with 2,48,000 (6%) meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD," a report of the research released by the MSF reads.
The report has also revealed that the prevalence of mental distress was "significantly higher" among woman than men.
"50 per cent of women and 37 per cent of men have probable depression, 36 per cent of women and 21 per cent of men have a probable anxiety disorder, and 22 per cent of women and 18 per cent of men have probable PTSD," a summary of the research reads.
A psychiatrist said the anxiety level has increased in the Valley due to ongoing crisis.
"There will be post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of the ongoing crisis but its intensity will be known when doctors examine such patients," he said, wishing not to be named.
He said the children are most affected of the current situation in the Valley. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
