Youth suicides surge in Afghanistan amid drug addiction and job crises

Recent suicides in Afghanistan highlight a growing mental health crisis among youth, driven by drug addiction, domestic violence, and unemployment.

Experts urge increased awareness and resilience training to combat psychological pressures.

Kabul [Afghanistan], June 30 (ANI): At least two recent cases of suicide in Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces have brought renewed focus on growing mental health issues among Afghan youth, with drug addiction, domestic violence, and unemployment cited as leading causes, TOLO News reported. One of the victims, Abdul Haq, a resident of Chaparhar district in Nangarhar, hanged himself at home, leaving behind two orphaned children.

Family members told TOLO News that he struggled with mental illness and drug addiction and had been hospitalised several times. "He was addicted to drugs. When I realised it, he had already left home twice, but I brought him back," said his father, Noorurrahman. "I brought him back a third time as well and took him to the hospital, where he received treatment. However, after returning home, he left again." His brother, Samiullah, added, "Two days had passed since he hanged himself before the neighbours informed us.

We went and brought back his body, arranged for his shroud, coffin, and burial." According to official data cited by TOLO News, several suicide cases have been reported in recent weeks. On the 17th of Jawza (solar calendar), a young man named Abdullah Abid in Uruzgan, and on the 7th of Saratan, Fida Mohammad in Kandahar, died by suicide due to economic and mental stress.

Similarly, in Paktika province's Barmal district, a young man named Allah Noor and his fiancee took their own lives because they couldn't afford the dowry. Religious scholars and mental health experts have expressed concern over the trend. Abdulrahman, a religious scholar in Nangarhar, said, "The Prophet's sayings clearly prohibit suicide. Anyone who commits suicide is held accountable in this world and in the hereafter."

Dr. Amir Pamir, a physician in Nangarhar, told TOLO News that many suicides are linked to mental health challenges and psychological pressure. "Mental illness and sudden psychological pressures lead many young people to take their own lives. The best way to prevent this is to raise awareness among youth and teach them resilience in the face of challenges." In Khost province alone, official figures show 72 suicide cases have been recorded in 2024, underscoring a growing mental health crisis across Afghanistan. (ANI)