mental health conditions

Mental health conditions in a war-like situation

I am not feeling good since yesterday evening and could not sleep properly. The reason being the India-China border stressed situation. At least 20 Indian Army personnel were martyred in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night during a violent military faceoff along the LAC. Salute and deepest respect to soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect us, to keep us safe. Our heartfelt condolences to the families of martyred soldiers.

The warlike circumstance includes disabling injuries, morbidities, and mortality of army personnel. It triggers extensive fear among all fellow countrymen. The fog of war, chaos, and tension often creates adverse effects on the health-supporting infrastructure of the nation which may further lead to consequences of civilian’s health (1). 

The fear of uncertainty!!

Our life course is sensitive to the environments in which we grow. Violence can affect family life, both economically and socially. These impacts may continue for longer periods across all systems like trade, transport, communication, food and water, medical care, public health services, and so on.

The emergency situation like terrorism also impact public health

The armed conflict diverts human and financial resources away from nonmilitary purposes and finally leads to violence. It is difficult to describe the mental suffering you see when you go to a war zone and you meet people affected by conflict or war. Such scenarios directly or indirectly hamper the mental health of individuals, family, friends, community, region, and country.

The possible use of remotely controlled weapon systems, unmanned armed drones, and their strikes by a country against others create a huge panic and psychological distress. The most common conditions are depression, anxiety, and psychosomatic disorders, but the most widely studied in relation to conflict is a post-traumatic stress disorder.

Read more about Post-traumatic stress disorder

Sometimes, the anxiety due to a lack of information or non-expert produced information rapidly becomes misinformation. It could spread the panic in masses. Such humanitarian response-induced things may create a state of disturbance in an individual.

In addition, the increasing use of social media, including the taking and electronic sharing of photographs and videos with mobile phones provides opportunities to spread havoc. The flow of information on the web is on full display in twitter feeds, Facebook posts, WhatsApp forwards for a specific period.

In one of our past write-up, we shared some positives and negatives of social media on the well-being of individuals. Depending on whom you are, social media can potentially make an impact on mental health which for the majority of people will certainly improve in time.

Obviously, it also depends upon the nature, severity, and magnitude of the situation. Despite tragic nature and adverse effects on overall health, war-like situations have shown to be opportunities to build sustainable health systems for the population; especially when it is the mental health conditions of young people who need monitoring.

Supporting the government, utilizing available resources, personal health goals, and measures are the basic requisites to be undertaken by each one of us. It is also high time for all of us as we are surrounded by some environmental crises like corona, flood, and earthquakes. Along with immunity boost up, your mental health conditions also need surveillance. Pray for your health first, and then pray for humanity.

Do not worry, humanity will prevail!!

Jai HIND!!