An 18-year-old girl is confined by her parents due to a mental health disorder to prevent her from going out and facing potential harm, they say.

Members of the family said they have been forced to confine Bibi Aasia to keep her safe from what might be befall her if she was allowed freedom of movement. 

“Because of this problem, we put her in a cage and chained her legs,” said Jan Agha, Bibi Asia's father.

Aasia's family said she was diagnosed with severe mental illness 15 years ago.

“Doctors here could not help her. If we take her to Karachi (city in Pakistan) or India, she will get better, but we are not able to take her there because we cannot afford the expenses,” her father said.

The Public Health Department in Kandahar said they lack the resources to treat patients with mental illness.

“Here in Kandahar, in general, we provide services for mentally ill patients who need to be hospitalized, but those patients who need advanced treatment, we don’t have those facilities for them,” said Jamaluddin Azami, acting head of the Kandahar Public Health Directorate.

According to doctors, war, poverty and "unwanted traditions" are among the reasons for an increased number of mentally ill patients in the country.