Srinagar, Feb 8: Kashmir is witnessing a growing mental health crisis, with anxiety, panic disorders and depression emerging as some of the most common psychological concerns across the age groups.

Mental health professionals in the Valley say the number of people seeking medical help has increased in recent years, particularly among young adults.
However, despite rising awareness, stigma, stereotypes and lack of access continue to prevent many from reaching out.
For several Kashmiris, the struggle with mental health remains deeply personal and shaped by silence.
Adil, a young Kashmiri writer, says his experience with anxiety and depression is rooted in a trauma he carried for years without speaking about it.
As a man who survived sexual abuse, he says the absence of social recognition for male victims made it harder to seek help. “In our society, sexual abuse is only acknowledged when it happens to women. Men are not even considered victims”.
Adil explained that the unresolved trauma led to persistent anxiety, emotional distress and prolonged sadness, affecting his overall mental well-being.
Although he knew he needed professional help, the fear of judgment kept him away from therapy for a long time.
“I was extremely hesitant to approach a therapist because of the stereotypes attached to mental health. I was scared of being judged or misunderstood,” he said.
Adil is now undergoing therapy but believes stigma continues to discourage many men from seeking psychological support. “People talk about mental health, but acceptance is still missing”.
For Anam, a young woman from South Kashmir, mental health struggles are closely tied to childhood trauma and a rigidly patriarchal family structure.
Growing up, she says, she was constantly made to feel less important than male family members.
“My education was never prioritised. I was repeatedly told that my future was marriage,” she said.
Eventually, Anam was married, only to find herself in an abusive relationship.
With little emotional support from her family, her mental health deteriorated further.
After enduring prolonged abuse, she filed for divorce , a decision that exposed her to intense social judgment.
“People don’t ask what I went through. They judge me, label me and blame me for ending the marriage,” she said.
The isolation and social backlash, according to Anam, have intensified her anxiety even as she tries to rebuild her life.
Mental health professionals say such stories are far from rare in Kashmir.
Dr. Jasindha Rafiq, a clinical psychologist currently working at Shiva Hospital, said anxiety-related disorders dominate clinical practice in the region.
With over six years of experience, Dr. Jasindha has previously worked in Gurgaon, where she served as the lead psychologist at KR University and Mangalam University, before returning to Kashmir to provide mental healthcare.
“Anxiety and panic attacks are the highest number of cases I see here. Apart from that, many patients come with depressive symptoms or mixed anxiety and depression,” she said
She stressed that while awareness around mental health has increased, social acceptance remains a major challenge. “This place is still full of stereotypes. It will take at least an entire generation for mental health to be fully accepted”.
According to Dr. Jasindha, family resistance often delays treatment, especially among young patients.
“Many times, when children come with their parents, the parents don’t buy the idea of mental health at all,” she explained
Fear of social exposure further discourages people from seeking help.
“A lot of patients come wearing masks because they don’t want to be recognised. They are afraid of society knowing they are seeing a psychologist,” she said.
She also highlighted the misconception that awareness automatically leads to access.
“People may be aware of mental health, but access to care is still weak. Mental healthcare is often seen as an upper-class concept because private treatment is more accessible, while the government sector lacks adequate infrastructure and opportunities for psychologists,” she added.
She noted that patients often present with trauma linked to childhood experiences, parental conflict, abuse and prolonged stress, compounded by modern factors such as excessive social media use and sedentary lifestyles.
“The biggest challenge is acceptance. Accepting that one has a problem is still very difficult here,” she added.
As voices like Adil’s and Anam’s slowly emerge, mental health professionals warn that silence and stigma continue to deepen psychological suffering.
In a region shaped by conflict and restraint, experts say meaningful change will require sustained awareness, stronger public mental health systems and time perhaps an entire generation to heal.