Addressing mental distress in Afghanistan

Shakiba Delawari is a senior student at Kabul University’s clinical psychology and counseling department. As a female university student, she is a minority; most girls in Afghanistan marry young and do not pursue higher education in Afghanistan.

Shakiba is studying the psychological challenges that most Afghans face, including her close friends and relatives.

During this time and throughout her young life she has seen many around her suffer from distress and other mental disorders.  Like about three-quarters of Afghan youth, Shakiba herself experienced the trauma of internal displacement—twice in her case, during the 1990s civil war, and again under Taliban rule.

The country’s ongoing conflict continues to foster uncertainty, with youth frequently reporting that they see few clear pathways to personal and professional development. 

Despite this, many young Afghans like Shakiba continue to pursue an education in fields that will enable them to help others.

And the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF)-supported Higher Education Development Project aims to support them.

Through the project, model counseling centers in universities provide various professional psychosocial support and programs for both faculty and students.

Women receive special attention to help them cope better with everyday challenges and stressful situations.

One such center has been established at Kabul Education University, which has a student body of around 7,600. Its counseling protocols, guidelines, and materials were prepared by Hunter College in the United States, in close partnership with Kabul University’s psychology faculty. 

It currently serves some 100 students, and 300 more are waiting for help, reflecting the student body’s strong demand for professional counseling and psycho-social support.Counseling centers  help respond to pressing needs. Traumas run deep and are all too common in Afghanistan.

According to the 2018 Afghanistan National Mental Health Survey, over 66 percent of Afghans have personally experienced at least one traumatic event. 

More than 77 percent have witnessed at least one such event,  and 84 percent have either personally suffered or witnessed a traumatic event. 

According to the 2018 Afghanistan National Mental Health Survey, over 66 percent of Afghans have personally experienced at least one traumatic event.

Though public health figures indicate that over half of Afghanistan’s population suffers psychological distress, the country counts only around 300 psychiatrists. 

Afghanistan’s government is committed to expanding counseling centers to all public universities, and the Afghan president has approved 55 staff positions for the centers.

Investments like these help young people who are experiencing conflict firsthand equip themselves to make the most of their opportunities. 

Shakiba finds the counseling center’s environment conducive and professional as she trains hard to become part of the future cadre of psychologists.

The physical infrastructure, the center’s staff, and its services are convenient and welcoming.  

This is in stark contrast to the public psychiatric hospitals where students are often referred for support and internships — seeking help for mental disorders and distress in Afghanistan remains heavily stigmatized.

Furthermore, the involvement of students as interns with credible work and engagement is a source of confidence for other students to come forth to use services and seek support.

“The youth and particularly university students need to have the opportunity and space to reflect on their difficulties and sufferings,” says Shakiba. “They also have the opportunity to acknowledge how difficult it has been for them to come this far. Once they realize what they have achieved, they can continue to thrive with even more motivation.”