Most of uprising victims suffer from depression, mental issues: Study

“With my son, I’ve run from hospital to hospital for eight months. He gets too upset as he has lost his eye. Now, he no longer wants to go to the hospital,” said Sabina Yasmin, mother of 12-year-old Sakib Hasan, a schoolboy injured in the July uprising.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone on 21 May, she added that during his stay in the hospital, Sakib didn’t speak even a word during the first 15 days. He would just sit in silence, visibly sad.

Khokon Chandra Barman, 23, who lost his lip, gums, palate, nose, and left eye after being shot in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area during the uprising, is still haunted by his appearance in the mirror. A professional driver, Khokon told Prothom Alo in October last year, “I get terrified when I look at myself in the mirror. I wish I had died instead.”

Speaking again on 21 May, he said he constantly worries about what will happen if he doesn’t receive proper treatment in time. The anxiety, he said, feeds into his depression.

Their depression has been reflected in a study by Bangladesh Medical University (BMU). It revealed alarmingly high levels of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among those injured in the July uprising.

According to the research, 82.5 per cent of the injured individuals are suffering from depression, and 64.1 per cent from PTSD.

The study, titled Mental Health Consequences of the July Revolution in Bangladesh: A Study on Depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Among Survivors of Violence and Persecution, was published on 18 May in the online medical journal Cureus, part of the prestigious Springer Nature Group.

A total of 217 injured individuals, including six women, participated in the study. They were selected from three major hospitals – BMU, the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital, and the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation (NITOR). The study was conducted between September 2024 and February 2025, through direct interviews.

According to the study, nearly 20 per cent of the participants suffer from severe depression, and over 20 per cent from severe PTSD.

The symptoms of PTSD patients include loss of interest in life, suicidal ideation, lack of concentration, emotional numbness, self-blame, impulsiveness, intrusive thoughts, and even self-harming behavior. Without access to mental health care, these patients could face long-term crises involving severe depression, suicide risk, violent behavior, homicidal tendencies, and drug addiction.

According to physicians, PTSD often follows exposure to extreme violence or trauma that are uncommon in daily life. Even a month after such incidents, affected individuals remain distressed, easily startled, and emotionally fragile. Significant dates or locations tied to the trauma trigger flashbacks and depressive episodes. They may begin to avoid places, people, or even colors that remind them of the incident. Such avoidance and emotional turmoil are defining characteristics of PTSD.

According to the study, 89.4 per cent of participants were injured by gunfire. Nearly 48 per cent were aged between 20 and 29, while 25 per cent were under 20.

The majority of participants – 97.2 per cent – were male, with only 2.8 per cent female. About 56.7 per cent were urban residents, while the rest came from rural areas. Some 38.7 per cent were students, and most were from lower-middle-class backgrounds. Only 12.4 per cent came from affluent families.

The study found a higher prevalence of depression and PTSD among rural patients.

Mohammad Shamsul Ahsan, associate professor of Psychiatry at BMU and lead researcher of the study, told Prothom Alo that mental health support, social safety nets, and financial stability are more limited in rural areas, which may lead to long-term depression and mental issues among rural victims.

On 5 August last year, Khokon was seriously injured by close-range police gunfire in front of Jatrabari Police Station. On 21 February this year, he was sent to Russia for advanced medical treatment at government expense. He returned on 7 May after his first surgery.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said the lower jaw has been implanted in his mouth, but there are still large holes in the places of lip, palate, and gums. “I feel depressed all the time. Children – and even adults – get scared when they see me. It breaks my heart.”

On 19 July last year, Sakib was hit by shotgun pellets in his right eye while attending a protest at ECB Chattar in Mirpur with friends. Fearing arrest, his family initially took him to a local pharmacy. As his condition worsened, he was taken to the national institute of ophthalmology.

This correspondent met Sakib and his mother Sabina again on 17 March during his third surgery in the hospital. Physicians placed a prosthetic eye in place of the damaged one on the day.

Sabina and her husband have since left Dhaka with their two children and returned to their village home in Jhenaigati upazila, Sherpur. Speaking over the phone, she said she can’t forget what happened to her son. “I keep wondering, such a great loss happened to my son?”

While talking to Prothom Alo, Shamsul Ahsan pointed out that many victims in the July uprising went without treatment for at least six days. Some avoided hospitals out of fear of arrest, while others received no care while in police custody.

Particularly in Savar and Ashulia, many injured were blocked from treatment by police. At the time, treatment was the main issue for them, and no one had the luxury to think about mental health, he said.

The researcher emphasised the urgent need for mental health care for those injured in the July uprising. “A large number of people were injured, and many witnessed horrific violence. Ensuring their mental health support is essential. A coordinated and specialised treatment is required for them. Otherwise, this could escalate into a long-term public health crisis.”