Risk factors for mental health in Kashmir: a qualitative study

Mental health in Kashmir presents an alarming picture, with reports indicating that nearly 45% of the population experiences psychological distress. This research is undertaken to explore the mental health landscape of Kashmir's youth through Petraitis et al.'s (1995) theoretical framework which investigates various types of risk across various levels. To achieve this objective, themes were generated from in-depth interviews with the relevant stakeholders which were juxtaposed into this existing theoretical framework. Findings showed that while some risk factors are universal, yet Kashmir's transitioning into modernity poses unique mental health challenges. The implication of this study is that there is a need for adapting mental-health modalities through both top-down approaches (that is, culturally-adapting the existing therapeutic modalities) and bottom-up approaches (that is, making tradition palatable to modern sensibilities) in order to improve the mental health landscape of Kashmir.