Mental health and suicidality in Afghan students after the Taliban takeover in 2021

Background: On the 15th of August 2021, Kabul was captured by the Taliban, leading to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The present study investigated PTSD symptoms, depression, suicide risk and facets of positive mental health in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban take-over. Methods: A total of 214 Afghan university students (73.7% women; age in years: M(SD) = 23.92 (5.77)) took part in this cross-sectional study between August and November 2021. Self-report measures of PTSD, depression, suicide ideation/behavior, positive mental health, social support, and posttraumatic growth were used. Results: Severe posttraumatic stress disorders symptoms were reported by 70%, clinically relevant depression symptoms were reported by 69.7% and significant suicide ideation/behavior was reported by 38.6% of the sample. Posttraumatic growth moderated the impact of depression on suicide risk. No interaction effects were found for positive mental health and social support. Limitation: The study focused on a specific group of highly educated and predominantly female Afghan students limiting the generalizability of the findings. Conclusion: PTSD symptoms, depression and suicidality show an alarmingly high prevalence in this specific sample of Afghan students. Various protective factors seem to be insufficient to buffer the association between PTSD, depression and suicide risk.

Automated summary

This study examined the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, suicide risk, and positive mental health among Afghan university students following the Taliban takeover in Kabul. The results showed a high prevalence of severe PTSD symptoms, clinically relevant depression symptoms, and significant suicide ideation/behavior in this specific sample. Posttraumatic growth moderated the impact of depression on suicide risk, while positive mental health and social support did not show any interaction effects. The study's limitations include the focus on a specific group of highly educated and predominantly female Afghan students, limiting the generalizability of the findings.