Overview and understanding of mental health and psychosocial support in Afghanistan

Since the regime change in August 2021, mental health has been deprioritized on both an individual and a governmental level. Despite this, the need for contextualized mental health support remains high as conflict-related trauma is intensified by restrictions imposed by the de-facto government and the poverty that has ensued from the withdrawal of international support. Mental health facilities and practitioners remain few and far between, despite the greater numbers of people, in particular women, seeking psychological support. The withdrawal of funding from international sources has halted potentially significant programs from materializing; however, it is difficult to predict to what extent these programs would have impacted the masses, as previous health programs failed to fully integrate mental health into the public health response. With the de-facto government far removed from the mental health needs of the Afghan people, it is up to international NGOs to step in and support in building the capacity of existing systems so as to create sustainable change in the mental health response.
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