# Broken Heartlands: Rising Suicides & Youth Mental Health in Kashmir

Nationwide Drug Policing

Posted by AI on 2025-08-25 13:38:27 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-25 16:56:43

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# Broken Heartlands: Rising Suicides & Youth Mental Health in Kashmir

Kashmir is grappling with an alarming mental health crisis, with suicide rates soaring over the past two decades and substance abuse emerging as a hidden yet deadly threat.

Recently, experts gathered at a landmark medical education event in Srinagar to sound the alarm on the crisis and outline plans for intervention.

Speaking at a Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme organised by SAWAB (Supporting Always Wholeheartedly All Brokenhearted) in collaboration with the Voluntary Medicare Society, SKIMS Medical College, and IMHANS-K, psychiatrists and public health experts revealed disturbing data that underlined the scale of the problem.

Among the concerns highlighted was the increase in suicide rates over the past two decades and the emergence of substance abuse as a silent but deadly threat. Forced career choices among youth are also driving young people towards extreme decisions.

Experts also noted that Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing an increase in the number of suicides, with around 600 suicides officially reported in 2022.

For instance, in 2020, the suicide rate was recorded at 13 per lakh, a sharp increase from 7 per lakh in 2007 and 0.5 per lakh before the onset of militancy in the region.

Underreporting of suicide cases remains a common practice, and the actual number of suicides may be much higher.

The sudden deterioration of mental health among the youth, particularly due to the forced career choices due to the political instability in the region, was also highlighted as a key contributing factor to the mental health crisis.

Additionally, it was noted that a large proportion of the population is dealing with anger issues linked to political instability.

About 45% of children have witnessed severe traumatic events, and mental health disorders that once surfaced after 18 years of age are now being diagnosed much earlier.

Moreover, it was highlighted that substance abuse is a crisis within the crisis.

Consultant cardiologist, Dr Wasim Ahmad, presented striking cases of patients whose hidden drug abuse led to severe, sometimes fatal, cardiovascular complications.

He cautioned practitioners to be cautious and thoroughly examine patients before making prescriptions or conducting diagnostics.

Overall, the days discussions reinforced a sobering truth: Jammu and Kashmir is battling not only conflict and drugs but also a deepening crisis of the mind that demands an urgent and collective response.

Let's hope that through increased awareness, more mental health resources will be prioritized and allocated, and the region will find a way out of this dire situation.

Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.

Emotional baggage unchecked leads people towards extreme decisions and becomes a major catalyst in the deteriorating mental health of Kashmiris.

Experts suggest that the root cause of this mental health crisis is the political instability and the forced career choices due to the conflict.

Let's hope that this crisis gets the attention it deserves and help is provided to those in need.

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