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Srinagar, June 13, 2016 (PPI-OT):In occupied Kashmir, how heavy presence of Indian armed forces is taking toll on health of Kashmiri people can be gauged from survey, recently conducted by Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF), which says that over half of the population of Kashmir is suffering from depression. The survey says that one out of every two adults is mentally disturbed in the Kashmir valley. The research was done in collaboration with the Department of Psychology, Kashmir University, and the Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, and the report was released last month. The survey reveals that one in every five adults in Kashmir is living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The survey says that hundreds of stress disorder cases come to Kashmir hospitals daily.
The study says that nearly 1.8 million adult population suffers from mental distress in Kashmir valley and a majority of people have experienced or witnessed conflict-related trauma.
Doctors cite conflict, which they implicitly refer to heavy presence of Indian troops in the disputed Kashmir, is the main cause for depression cases.
The depression is more prevalent among young men who are showing symptoms of headache, loss of memory and the desire to be left alone.
“We have found out multiple factors associated with it – one of them is definitely traumatic life events there is no doubt about it and the other factors breaking social network and economic reasons”, said Psychiatrist Arshid Hussain.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736