The Impact of the Conflict in Afghanistan on Civilian Mental Health

An article discussing the psychological epidemic plaguing the Afghani people, which is becoming increasingly apparent that it is largely a result of forty years of uninterrupted war there.

Afghanistan continually ranks among the most dangerous places in the world to be a civilian, with casualties caused by explosive violence rising from 4,268 in 2018 to 4,630 in 2019. 2020 so far has been no different. Afghanistan was the country worst impacted by explosive weapons in August 2020, with 353 civilian casualties recorded by AOAV. And although peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban commenced last month, explosive violence in the country shows no sign of abating.

The impact of this violence on the population’s mental health is becoming shockingly clear. There has been a surge in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological conditions linked to armed conflict throughout the country, with the International Psychosocial Organisation (IPSO) estimating that 70% of Afghanistan’s 37 million people are in need of psychological support. Afghanistan has been called a ‘trauma state’; according to this theory, trauma caused by war fuels more war, in turn causing more trauma–and the cycle continues.