In Myanmar, the words "anxiety" and "depression" are no longer adequate to describe what people are experiencing. Since the military coup of February 2021, millions have lived through armed conflict, economic collapse, displacement, and repeated natural disasters. Moreover, the collapse of national health services, disaster preparedness, and a cohesive mental health strategy has left the population facing these events without a safety net. The result is not only a public health emergency but also a human rights crisis. The growing psychological distress of Myanmar’s population reflects the systematic erosion of the basic rights and protections that normally allow people to live with security and dignity.
A series of crises
The coup’s political and economic fallout has been profound. United Nations estimates from 2025 suggest that nearly half of the population lives below the poverty line. Basic public services have deteriorated, and the economy has spiraled into a severe decline. Agricultural output has fallen by 16% since 2021, largely due to armed conflict and climate-related shocks, and fertilizer shortages, surging fuel prices, and disrupted trade have further driven up the cost of rice—the national staple—by as much as 47% in some regions. Consequently, food insecurity is widespread and critical. Meanwhile, the value of Myanmar’s currency, the kyat, has depreciated dramatically, from 1,330 per US dollar in 2021 to about 4,520 kyat by 2025. This economic volatility turns the simple act of survival into a source of daily trauma.
Natural disasters have repeatedly compounded this humanitarian crisis. Myanmar is highly vulnerable to cyclones, floods, and landslides. In May 2023, Cyclone Mocha, a Category 5 storm, impacted around 1.2 million people. According to recent data, Myanmar has experienced more than 40 earthquakes since March 2025. The strongest of these was a 7.7-magnitude tremor, followed by a 6.7 aftershock. This seismic event affected over 17 million people, with nine million severely impacted, across five regions. These environmental shocks have exacerbated the effects of ongoing conflict, power shortages, and trade restrictions, and they have left communities reeling from one crisis to the next.
These compounding crises have forced millions to flee their homes. By 2023, an estimated 3.7 million Myanmar nationals had migrated to Thailand, and millions more have fled elsewhere. The exodus intensified sharply after the military's February 2024 announcement of a forced conscription law, which compels military service for men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27. Internally displaced persons often lack adequate aid and protection, stretching the limits of host communities. With few legal options for migration, those who remain live under the constant threat of violence and forced military recruitment, forced labor, and other forms of exploitation.
The military’s attempts to manufacture political legitimacy have only deepened the nation’s collective trauma. The three-phase election presented as a “return to normalcy” took place amid a surge of state-sponsored violence. The UN documented 408 military air attacks that killed at least 170 civilians during the voting period alone. Simultaneously, authorities directly threatened citizens casting ballots with arrest. The transformation of a political exercise into a source of widespread psychological distress, verified by international monitors, is a grave human rights crisis.
The invisible casualty: Myanmar’s mental health
The psychological toll on civilians has been profound. Chronic stress and trauma increase the risk of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal ideation. Alongside individual vulnerability and resilience, the number of traumatic events experienced strongly correlates with mental health outcomes. A cascade of crises, from armed conflict to global pandemics and climate-related disasters, has left millions emotionally fragile.
Data already indicate the depth of this mental health crisis. The World Health Organization estimates that one in five people affected by conflict in the past decade suffers from depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. An online survey of 7,720 Burmese adults conducted in October 2021 found that 61% showed depressive symptoms and 58% symptoms of anxiety. Another survey involving 750 adolescent girls from disadvantaged backgrounds revealed high levels of depressive symptoms, particularly among those whom the conflict has separated from their parents. Qualitative research with internally displaced persons also documents daily fear of airstrikes, trauma symptoms, restricted humanitarian access, and limited mental health and psychosocial support services.
These compounded crises have left Myanmar’s population under unprecedented psychological strain. Without recognition of the full scope of this collective trauma, mental health remains an invisible casualty, overlooked by both national and international responses. The crisis extends beyond individual diagnoses: It reflects the cumulative psychological impact of conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and systemic rights violations. Addressing this “invisible casualty” will require coordinated action from the international community, humanitarian organizations, Myanmar’s local health and civil society networks, and ethnic health organizations. Without integrating mental health into humanitarian response and long-term recovery, the country risks leaving an entire generation burdened by trauma that will shape both individual lives and the nation’s future resilience.