As Nepal grapples with the aftermath of deadly Gen Z protests, doctors are reporting a sharp increase in trauma-related cases among children and adolescents. Many are showing symptoms of severe stress and anxiety after witnessing or learning about the violence, which left at least 36 people dead and more than 1,700 injured, according to the Health Ministry.
The Kathmandu Post highlighted the psychological toll through the case of an eight-year-old girl who became terrified of being left alone, even when her parents went to the washroom. She also refused to attend school, fearing something terrible might happen.
Doctors say such cases are far from isolated. Hospitals across Kathmandu and other districts are seeing more children struggling with insomnia, nightmares, and extreme fear. Some have expressed suicidal thoughts after losing friends or relatives. “One of the patient’s friends died in the incident,” Dr Basudev Karki of Nepal Mental Hospital told the paper. “The patient had suicidal thoughts and complained that there is no point in living.”
The protests, fueled by anger over corruption and a government ban on social media platforms, spread rapidly across the country. Videos of the unrest circulated widely online, exposing even children far from protest sites to disturbing images and amplifying their psychological distress.
Community groups and NGOs have stepped in to provide support. Organisations like Happy Minds and TPO Nepal have launched free hotlines and counselling services. The Health Ministry has also met with UN agencies and pledged to roll out a mental health awareness campaign using social media — the same platforms at the heart of the Gen Z movement.
Doctors caution that while the protests have ended, the scars they left on Nepal’s children — both visible and invisible — will take far longer to heal.
