BEYOND THE PROTESTS: AS NEPAL ACTS POLITICALLY, ITS PEOPLE SUFFER SILENTLY

15 November 2025 . #2505 . International Affairs Perspective .

Priya Paul and Mayilvaganan Muthumariappan analyze the 2025 Gen Z protests in Nepal, arguing that political solutions alone cannot resolve the nation’s deep social crisis. They highlight how economic insecurity, youth unemployment, and inadequate healthcare exacerbate anxiety and despair. The authors assert that sustainable peace and stability require a comprehensive approach that includes socio-economic development, mental health awareness, and community-based care.


Beyond the Protests: A Generation Speaks

In September 2025, a wave of deadly “Gen Z” protests erupted in response to Nepal government’s ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, for allegedly failing to comply with local registration laws. Many young people viewed this as more than just a digital restriction as they saw it as an attempt to silence their only platform for speaking out against corruption, nepotism, and joblessness. Fueled by a sense of disenfranchisement and frustration, youth mobilized across the nation, organizing rallies and peaceful demonstrations that demanded more transparency and accountability from their leaders.

The movement swiftly toppled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and his government. Afterward, Sushila Karki, a respected former chief justice, took on the role of interim prime minister on September 12, becoming Nepal’s first female head of government and calling elections for March 2026. Yet beneath this political turbulence, a more subdued crisis unfolds in Nepal. Ordinary citizens endure the profound challenges of unemployment, inequality, and institutional decay, burdens they persistently bear in silence, frequently feeling overlooked and powerless.

The Social Fallout of Instability

Nepal’s prolonged political instability has also deeply eroded public trust in government institutions. Frequent changes in leadership and policy paralysis have left over 60% of the population expressing distrust in political parties and leadership efficacy. This pervasive disillusionment weakens social cohesion and heightens psychological distress, with studies indicating that nearly one-third of Nepalis report feelings of chronic stress linked directly to political uncertainty.

Economic instability exacerbates the mental health challenges faced by Nepal. The country’s unemployment rate hits approximately 11.5% in 2024, disproportionately affecting the youth and rural populations. Financial insecurity contributes to heightened anxiety, with 22% of surveyed individuals indicating a deterioration in mental health symptoms attributable to economic stressors. Further compounding the issue, approximately 4.5 million Nepalis — nearly 15% of the population — are engaged in labor abroad as migrant workers, thereby disrupting the social support networks that are vital for fostering psychological resilience.

The Silent Epidemic Beneath the Surface

The political transition may have calmed the streets in Nepal, but it has done little to ease the anxiety brewing in people’s minds. Years of instability, corruption, and economic stagnation have disillusioned many young Nepalis about their future. The protests voiced not just objections to internet bans or politics — they expressed the outcry of a generation that feels unheard and unseen.

Anger mask exhaustion, as students endeavor to acquire employment, families confront the weight of substantial debt, and migrants return to their countries of origin, only to encounter disillusionment. As public attention shifts toward 2026 elections and power, the silent epidemic of stress, depression, and hopelessness continues to grow, largely unacknowledged by the state.

Anxiety, depression, and despair significantly affect daily life for many Nepalis, worsened by stigma, resource scarcity, and a fragile healthcare system. Youth disproportionately suffer, with studies indicating rising psychological distress and increased help-seeking. A 2025 Kathmandu Post report shows that students make up 15.4% of suicide victims, linked to political unrest and academic pressure. Despite mental disorders being a major national health burden, inadequate services persist, especially in rural areas.

Stigma and Policy Challenges

Even as political transitions come and go, Nepal’s mental health crisis persists, in large part due to systemic neglect and societal stigma. Mental health stigma is deeply entrenched in Nepalese society, often framing mental disorders as spiritual weakness, moral failing, or karmic punishment. Such beliefs discourage individuals from seeking professional help and perpetuate social exclusion, affecting not just patients but entire families. Cultural barriers like these remain a key impediment to mental health care utilization, even amidst ongoing awareness campaigns.

Access to services is severely limited: Nepal has only 0.13 psychiatrists, 0.02 clinical psychologists, and 0.06 psychiatric nurses per 100,000 people, with roughly 60% of specialists concentrated in urban Bagmati Province. Only a quarter of health facilities provide any mental health services, leaving rural and mountainous regions critically underserved. The treatment gap exceeds 70%, meaning most individuals with mental disorders never receive formal care. These systemic gaps, compounded by stigma, create a silent epidemic, showing that political change alone cannot address the deep-rooted mental health crisis in Nepal.

Toward Holistic Stability: Healing Beyond Politics

Nepal’s political transitions, while momentarily stabilizing governance, have done little to address the silent mental health crisis gripping the country. True national stability transcends political settlements and must encompass social and psychological healing. Economic insecurity, youth unemployment, migration, and chronic political instability converge with deep-rooted stigma and inadequate healthcare infrastructure, leaving millions vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and despair.

Addressing this crisis requires more than political fixes; it demands sustained investment in mental health awareness, equitable service provision, and culturally sensitive interventions that reach both urban and rural communities. Social cohesion and psychological well-being form the foundation for enduring political stability, and without tackling the psychosocial wounds embedded in Nepali society, political peace will remain fragile and incomplete.

Ms. Priya Paul is a Master’s Student in International Relations at Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, and Dr. Mayilvaganan M., Director of CHSIA, is an independent consultant and international affairs specialist.

Views expressed are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CHSIA.