Identifying a mental illness is a big challenge in Kashmir households where family members prefer spiritual preachers over psychiatrists.

When people develop symptoms of mental disorders. Their family members take them to spiritual preachers, where they even beat them to ward off evil spirits as they think these patients have an influence of evil spirits (Jins).

The concept of evil spirits influencing human behaviour or mental progressions is used to justify various symptoms or experiences.After months of visits when nothing happens their condition deteriorates and they suffer from chronic mental illness.

Unfortunately, most young people with mental health problems dont get any treatment for them. This often happens with the patients who arediagnosed with schizophrenia. Their families think that they are possessed due to their odd behavior, auditory, and coenesthetic hallucinations.

Some patients are lucky, their parents or well-wishers identify the symptoms and consultant psychiatrists to get them treated. But stigma is still attached to the mental issues in the valley. So, here government institutions be it hospitals, educational institutes, family members and media play a very important role in creating awareness regarding the mental health issues among the people.

Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behaviour. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviours.

According to the doctors at Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience (IMHANS), more than 30 thousand mental health cases have been reported at the institute, in the last four months of this year alone, and the number is increasing every day. Most of the people in Kashmir do not visit hospitals and clinics due to the stigma.

Read more here:
Mental health and the stigma - Greater Kashmir