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Two in Five Afghan Youths Suffer from Mental Illness
[Tolo News] The Minister of Public Works (MoPW) on Tuesday reported that the rate of mental illness among the Afghan youth is on the rise."A survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that two in every five students suffer from mental disorders," Deputy Minister of Public Works for Policy and Planning, Ahmad Jan Naeemi, said. "The figure is even higher according to various other statistics." Addressing a special ceremony for World Youth Day on August 12, Naeemi stated that mental illness has spread in the country as a result of three decades of war and social issues such as domestic violence, poverty and job recession. This is while the acting director of the UN office in Afghanistan, Eint Robertson, has expressed apprehensions over the high rates of mental illness in the country. "One of Afghanistan's least recognized tragedies is the burden of mental health conditions. Decades of insecurity, violence, persistent poverty and unemployment have really left their mark on generations of Afghans," she said. "The youth are particularly vulnerable." The Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) Department of Youth Affairs, government officials and a number of youth organized an event marking the World Youth Day under the slogan "Mental Health Is Important." Additionally, MoIC discussed the dynamic role of the youth in the country, stressing on boosting their potentials. "A lot has been done for the youth in the past ten years," Minister of Information and Culture Syed Makhdoom Raheen said. "But it's not sufficient." Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, Jack stuck the cigar in his mouth, stepped onto the gantry, and asked Got a light, Mac? Von Schtinken stopped short, lowering the dagger and trying to control his features. If you light that thing, Herr Armschtröng,he pointed out, his voice tense, we all die!... groups of youths assert that events as such are symbolic, not effective. "Instead of conducting such programs, it is better to focus on basic problems faced by the youth," Najiba, a law student at Kabul University, said. "We must create training and job opportunities for the youth." Alongside mental illness, drug addiction, lack of job opportunities and issues pertaining to illegal migration are among the top challenges for the Afghan youth. Posted by: Fred 2014-08-13 |
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