Muntazar: Kashmir Mental Health Survey Report 2015

Published in 2016, this report presents the findings of a survey undertaken by Médecins Sans Frontières, New Delhi, and the University of Kashmir and Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, both located in Srinagar. It discusses the mental health landscape – particularly for conditions like depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – as well as the accessibility of healthcare services in the Kashmir valley. The publication aims to contribute to the formulation of policies and aid in the planning and monitoring of mental health programmes.Nearly 1.8 million adults (45 per cent of the adult population) in the Kashmir valley are suffering from symptoms of mental distress – states the report. The survey was conducted in 5,600 households from 400 villages across 10 districts in the valley among individuals aged 18 years and above, and 65 per cent of respondents were females. It employed household surveys as well as focus group discussions, and the questionnaires were adapted to the cultural context of Kashmir. The report states that factors like gender, age, marital status, area of residence and exposure to traumatic events, are important in the occurrence of depression, anxiety and PTSD.This 96-page report begins with a section on recommendations and is divided into five chapters: Introduction (Chapter 1); Overview of the study methodology (Chapter 2); The results of the KMHS 2015 (Chapter 3); Preliminary findings from focus group discussions (Chapter 4); and Looking Forward (Chapter 5).