Afghanistan ; a country victim of civil war for decades is in dire need of re-building and rehabilitation. Decades of war and conflict inside the country have ruined the infrastructure of the country in all aspects including healthcare facilities. Afghanistan is amongst poorest country in the region in terms of human suffering, lack of basic needs, and of access to basic health care and sanitation.

People of Afghanistan are constantly struggling to live under conditions of insecurity, inadequate health care, lack of education and other public services, as well as gender inequalities. While malnutrition, preventable infectious diseases and maternity complications destroy many thousand lives, ongoing war inside the country, unexploded mines and continuous violence put another burden on the tired and exhausted shoulders of the nation. In such condition mental health and especially children and adolescence’s mental health has received little if any attention in the country.

According to WHO estimates about 20-30% of population is suffering of mental disorders and along with that there are about 30-40% facing psychological problems which interfere with their daily routines and could lead to serious disorders in the future.
On the other hand because of cultural believes having mental disorder is a big stigma and the patient or the family would not seek any medical help for that. It is widely accepted and appreciated notion in Afghan communities that mental disorders are not medical problems; rather they are due to penetration of bad creatures (Jennies) into the body of individuals.

People having mental disorder are subject to wide range of human right violations. They are outcaste from the society and do not receive the care they need. In many parts of Afghanistan mentally ill patients are put in chains and are brought to particular shrines with no proper clothing and sanitation. It is also believed that keeping those patients hungry will improve their condition and they are exposed to long starvation as well. Beating the patients is another part of treatment in such places in order to indirectly “beat the bad spirits (Jennies) and banish them out of the patient’s body”.

There are few mental health facilities in entire country and those facilities are facing problems with human recourses, medication and required equipments. Few finger counted psychiatrists are currently working in the country and psychology and psychotherapy is virtually none existent and underdeveloped.

Situation for children and adolescent’s mental health problems are even worse. Where one out of each 5 children in Afghanistan does not see his/her fifth birthday due to malnutrition; respiratory disorders; and diarrhea and related complications; infections diseases including Tuberculosis; and many other preventable diseases, mental illnesses need for mental health are completely neglected.

Children are exposed to physical and mental violations. They are used as physical forces and are involved in strenuous physical activities and in most families they are the only supporter of the family. Verbal and physical abuse is very common. Many girls by age 15 are mothers and caretakers of entire family; thus are subject to conflict prone large family systems. Many children have witnessed violent scenes of loss of lives and mutilations (i.e. military conflicts, tribal/religious animosities, landmines, etc.). All these factors collectively put the children in danger of developing mental disorders. A large number of children suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with no help insight.

In spite of such distressful living conditions for the children, Child psychiatry has received virtually no attention in Afghanistan . There are no mental health facilities available to refer children to, in cases when mental illnesses are being diagnosed by pediatricians. Most often inadequate and sometimes improper treatment is started by pediatricians and no proper psychological evaluation is carried out.

For any individual, physical, social and mental health are vital for over all well-being. Mental health is as crucial for healthy living as physical health and is required for a purposeful productive life. Developing mental health infrastructures and nurturing psychiatrists and psychologists are essential and should receive proper attention.

Child psychiatry should be flourished in Afghanistan as children are building blocks of strong and powerful nations.

“ A child's tiny feet,
Blue, blue with cold,
How can they see and not protect you?
Oh, my God!
Tiny wounded feet,
Bruised all over by pebbles,
Abused by snow and soil!
Man, being blind, ignores
that where you step, you leave
A blossom of bright light,
that where you have placed
your bleeding little soles
a redolent tuberose grows.
Since, however, you walk
through the streets so straight,
you are courageous, without fault.
Child's tiny feet,
Two suffering little gems,
How can the people pass, unseeing.”

(Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral).