ISLAMABAD, (APP): More than 45% youth of Indian Kashmir shows symptoms of mental
Around 1.8 million people in occupied Kashmir accounting for nearly 45 percent of the Valley's adult population, show significant symptoms of mental distress, a survey by `M‚decins Sans FrontiŠres'has said.
The survey report said that of these, 1.6 million adults (41 percent) in the Valley were living with symptoms of depression, with 415,000 meeting the diagnostic criteria for severe depression, KMS reported.
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An estimated one million adults (26 percent) in the Valley are living with significant symptoms of anxiety-related disorders,' said the survey.
The study by the medical humanitarian organization `M‚decins Sans FrontiŠres' or Doctors Without Borders was done in collaboration with the Department of Psychology, Kashmir University, and the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) in Kerala.
The survey said that nearly one in five (19 percent) adults in Kashmir were living with significant PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) symptoms.
It is to mention here that the presence of over 700,000 Indian troops in occupied Kashmir is taking a heavy toll on the mental health of the people.
The Indian forces' personnel use excessive force on routine basis to disperse peaceful protests and subject the residents to harassment, torture and other atrocities during search operations.