Wives of disappeared persons (hereafter referred to as ‘half-widows’) in Kashmir, India endure psychological distress and social exclusion due to the disappearance of their spouses during insurgency. Insurgency and disappearances in Kashmir have produced a distinct group of half-widows, wives of men who disappeared during the last 3 decades and whose fate remains unknown (Singh 2019). The wives of the missing are caught in a state of prolonged legal, social, and emotional limbo. Living in prolonged uncertainty, these women experience suspended grief, economic invisibility, and social exclusion (Qutab 2012; Singh 2019). Their ambiguous marital status deprives them of inheritance, welfare benefits, and the freedom to remarry, while simultaneously exposing them to psychological distress, stigma, and neglect. Drawing on existing literature and policy gaps, this commentary argues for a trauma-informed, feminist, and rights-based mental health response that integrates legal recognition, psychosocial care, and socio-economic support to address the enduring vulnerabilities of half-widows in Kashmir...