The embattled district of Shopian in the south of Kashmir is at breaking point. An unknown gunman has shot and injured a local politician in the village of Chitragam. He is the third politician shot this week in Shopian district alone.

Earlier that day, streets across the region were filled with thousands of protesters demanding the death penalty for the man who raped a three-year-old girl.

And the past week has also seen the return of shelling between Indian and Pakistani forces in Kashmir, with civilians reportedly injured.

Such violence – not unusual in this conflict-riven part of India – is at the root of why the contested province of Jammu and Kashmir, as it is officially known, is in the grip of a mental health crisis.

India has one of the highest rate of psychiatric disorders in the world, with around 15 per cent of the population estimated to be suffering from a mental health or substance misuse disorder.

But in Kashmir, that figure is thought to be much higher, with some studies estimating that as many as 45 per cent of the population is suffering some kind of mental distress.

A 2016 report published by charity ActionAid and the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) found "shocking" levels of mental ill health, particularly among vulnerable groups.