Afghan women use art therapy to improve mental health – 08/13/2023 – Equilíbrio

At his home in northern Afghanistan, Khushi, 19, draws a self-portrait: a figure wrapped in a blue burqa, inside a cage.

In the past, this former university student studied law and political science at the main university in the northern province of Balkh. But since December, when the Taliban barred women from higher education institutions, she has sunk into depression. She went on to need psychiatric treatment and was advised to take art therapy classes.

“When I realized I wasn’t mentally well, I was sad. I wasn’t happy at all, I felt depressed all the time, I felt like a caged bird that has lost all happiness,” said Khushi, who is being identified by only a name for security reasons.

“When the Taliban banned women from attending universities and announced that girls cannot continue studying, I was so upset that my mental health deteriorated day by day. I finally decided to see a psychiatrist.”

In December 2022, the Taliban banned women from universities, triggering rare public protests. The decision was announced after the closure of most secondary schools for girls and after Taliban authorities banned most Afghan women from working in humanitarian organisations.

The orders excluding women from public life have drawn strong international criticism, and Western governments say they are one of the crucial obstacles preventing any formal recognition of the Taliban government, which took over the Afghan government after the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, two years ago.

The Taliban say they respect women’s rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture.

But many women, especially in urban areas, who gained educational and job opportunities during the 20 years of the presence of foreign troops in the country and a Western-backed government, now face a deep sense of hopelessness and mental health problems, women say. Afghans and mental health experts.

“Since the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban administration) began to rule the country, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions on women, banning their access to universities, amusement parks, beauty salons and so on. They have left nothing for women. women,” said Khushi’s psychiatrist, who could not be named for security reasons.

“The art studios are the only resource we have left to help our patients. They’ve become the only place where girls can clear their heads, chat with old friends, make new friends, and on top of that, they can learn to make art. .”

Khushi has fortnightly appointments with the psychiatrist. He used to see four or five patients a day, but he says that number has now grown to 10 or 15 every day, mostly women. The increase was even more evident after the Taliban banned women from universities, he said.

Health organizations estimate that, after decades of war and instability, half of the 40 million Afghans are in psychological distress. There are few reliable figures on mental health trends, but doctors and aid workers say they see more women with mental health problems since orders were issued limiting women’s access to work and education.

Paintings grace the walls of a small, colorful art studio in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh. Several young women, including Khushi, are gathered for a pencil drawing class. Many were sent to class on the recommendation of a mental health professional to alleviate their isolation and learn a new skill in addition to talk and drug therapy.

“When I was depressed, the doctor recommended me to go somewhere where I could calm my mind. I chose the art studio. Not only did I make good friends here, I also do art therapy,” said a former university student who attended the class.

Khushi said art therapy gives her a place she can be that isn’t home and offers her a little hope for the future.

“It gives me a sense of accomplishment to have created something,” she said. “Drawing empowers me, gives me confidence. I’m disappointed in my life, but I’m not giving up — I’m going to fight. I hope things get better in the future.”

Translated by Clara Allain