THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF SCHOOL CLOSURES FOR AFGHAN GIRLS

Mohammad Shah Zaki

Abstract


This study investigated the Psychological Consequences of School Closures for Afghan Girls after the change of regime in 2021. The targeted participants of this study were girls who were prevented from going to school. A total of 252 participants took part in this study to express their views and opinions regarding the school closure based on a questionnaire and provided open-ended reflections regarding the impact of school closures. The majority of them were from university (43.6%), followed by high school (39.4%), secondary school (14.9%), and primary school (2.9%) students, as girls are only permitted to attend school up to grade six. The findings revealed significant psychological serious effects. A large number of respondents reported hopelessness about the future (76.9%), anxiety (70.4%), depression (68%), and loss of motivation (64.8%), indicating widespread despair and lack of direction. Additional consequences include low self-esteem (39.7%), mental disorder (36.8%), loneliness (34.4%), and sleep disturbance (27.5%). Moreover, (77.2%) of participants described feeling trapped at home, (64.2%) experienced mood disorders, and (39%) reported physical illness. Other concerning outcomes included experiences of dehumanization (37%) and exposure to violence (35.8%). Despite these severe challenges, most students expressed resilience and a strong desire to continue learning. Almost all the participants sought alternative opportunities: (80.7%) looked for scholarships, (73.5%) considered leaving the country, if possible, and (66.7%) pursued online study. A smaller number of participants studied at home with their parents (9.2%), while only (2.4%) accepted this situation passively. Participants also identified forced marriage, underage marriage, increase of child labors, and youth suicide rates as additional consequences of school closures. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority demonstrated hope for the future and refused to give up their education and strong desire to achieve their goal.

 

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psychology, consequence, child labor, suicide rate, forced marriage, underage marriage.

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejlll.v9i3.661

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