Doctors Claim Decline in PTSD Cases in Kashmir

Psychiatrists in the Kashmir Valley have claimed that there has been a decline in the number of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases, the credit of which goes to an improvement in the security situation.

The Kashmir Valley witnessed an epidemic of stress-related disorders after the outbreak of armed conflict two decades ago.

A survey conducted six years ago showed that 17 percent of the population in the valley suffered from PTSD. But the number has steadily gone down over the years.

The graph of day-to-day violence related incidents have also shown a decline after India and Pakistan declared a cease-fire in 2004.

The level of stress among the locals was at its peak during the nineties, when on an average 10-12 people were killed per day. During that period, there used to be more than three grenades attacks alone in the Lal chowk area of the City.

The doctors' say that numbers of such patients have come down from 40 to a few fresh PTSD a day.

According to statistics, the annual number of violent incidents in the state went up to nearly 6,000 during the peak of insurgency. It is down to a mere 400 this year.

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However the doctors say that the number of those patients who have social stress problems is still very high. The doctors also believe that the trauma stress that had gripped the Kashmir valley will still take time to come down to the normal level.

When the armed conflict broke out two decades ago, Kashmir was ill equipped to deal with PTSD and other disorders. But over the years, the situation has improved considerably - the number of psychiatrists has since grown to 20 and the faculty is still expanding.

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Experts say although militancy is on the wane, the region still lacks stability.

Source-ANI
SRM