Abstract
Global health issues are a global burden and are relatively common in industrialized societies. The World Health Organization and researchers have developed and rebuilt tools to report the burden of disease affecting mortality and health of the people. Apart from America and Europe, which are at an average of global burden for mental health disease, in some regions it is a major priority to be addressed globally. In South East Asia, one of the affected regions is Kashmir, Northern Indian. Disasters have manifested in various forms encompassing the natural calamities of earthquake, flood, landslides and manmade calamities of violence. Trauma due to manmade calamities has taken over as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the most productive working age group of 12-35 years. The chapter aims to understand the patterns of resilience in people surviving war and conflict in Kashmir over last 60 years. The focus is on the young population of society. Generations in Kashmir have faced the psychosocial impact of ongoing political conflict since the 1980's.
TopOverall Population Scenario And Conflicts In Kashmir Valley
The Kashmir Valley is situated in north region of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir between Jammu (to the south) and Ladakh (to the east) with the line of control (border with Pakistan) along its northern and western borders. It covers a geographical area of 15,948 km2, with a population density of 430/km2. The total population is 6.9 million, with 73% living in rural areas and 27% living in urban centers (2011 census). The majority (97%) of the population is Muslim, with Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians making up the other 3% (“Human Rights Watch,” 2006). Since partition of India in 1947, the Kashmir has faced political instability. Following three Indo-Pakistani wars (1947, 1965 and 1971) and one Indo-Chinese war (1962), the wars were consequences of an internal movement for determining freedom. In 1989, an insurgency began, resulting in 27 years of movement of gun-men group (fighting for self-determination) and military activity. By 2012, approximately 70,000 Kashmiris had lost their lives in the conflict and 10,000 people had been reported missing (“History of Kashmir,” n.d.).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Disorder: A disorder is a practical irregularity or trouble. Medical disorders can be characterized into mental illnesses, physical disorders, genetic disorders, emotional and behavioural disorders, and functional disorders.
Mental Health: Mental health comprises our expressive, psychosomatic, and communal well-being. It affects how we reflect, sense, and act. It also helps regulate how we handle anxiety, relate to others, and make selections. Mental health is significant at every phase of life, from childhood and adolescence through maturity.
Psychology: Psychology is the discipline of behaviour and awareness. Psychology comprises the study of conscious and unconscious occurrences, as well as sensation and thought. It is a theoretical discipline of immense scope. Psychologists seek an understanding of the developing belongings of brains, and all the variability of phenomena related to those emergent belongings, joining this way the wider neuroscientific group of researchers.