Half of Afghanistan’s population suffers from anxiety; 2 mn sought mental health treatment in 2025: Report

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has reported some startling figures with regard to the mental health crisis in the central Asian country.

The Ministry of Public Health has reported that two million (20 lakh) people visited healthcare centres for treatment of mental health disorders, including anxiety last year.

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The ministry stated that, according to evaluations and assessments done in recent years, half of the country’s population is suffering from anxiety.

TOLOnews stated a ministry spokesperson as saying that the government was working to provide care and services to mental health patients, adding the Islamic Emirate has increased the number of counsellors to 430 ever since it returned to power in August 2021.

The Ministry of Public Health further states that while the capital Kabul has one specialised mental health hospital, every zone also has a mental health unit.

Over 200 specialists are reported to have graduated in the field of mental health in recent years.

A total of 1,100 counsellors, including around 300 women, are deployed across the country.

A WHO news release in September 2025 stated: “Mental health is emerging as one of Afghanistan’s most urgent yet overlooked concerns. Years of conflict, natural disasters and displacement have left deep psychological impacts, particularly among families returning from Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is estimated that one in five Afghans lives with a mental health condition, and last year, more than half of returning families suffered from disorders such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress. Despite this urgent need, provincial hospitals and primary health care services still lack mental health services, leaving many of the country’s most vulnerable populations without care.”