A conference on mental health revealed alarming statistics, showing that 10% of people in Pakistan are addicted to drugs, while nearly 1,000 people committed suicide last year due to mental stress.
The 26th International Conference on Mental Health was held in Karachi.
Chairman of the Scientific Committee, Professor Muhammad Iqbal Afridi, stated that in Pakistan, one out of every three people (34%) suffers from some form of mental illness, while globally, one in five people is affected by psychological disorders.
He said that depression among women in Pakistan is increasing rapidly, mainly because they are not given the respect and position they deserve. Domestic conflicts push many women into severe depression and anxiety, while mental illnesses among the youth are rising due to the use of drugs such as ice and other addictive substances.
Professor Afridi added that natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, which destroyed thousands of homes, along with terrorist incidents, have also had a severe negative impact on the mental health of the population, leading to various psychological disorders.
President of the Pakistan Psychiatric Society, Professor Wajid Ali Akhundzada, stated that one out of every four young people and one out of every five children in Pakistan suffers from some form of mental disorder. He revealed that around 1% (2.5 million) people in Pakistan are suffering from mental illnesses representing 2.5 million families affected by economic, political, and environmental crises.
He further stated that 10% of people in Pakistan are drug addicts, and last year, around 1,000 people committed suicide due to mental stress.
He emphasized that there is a dire need to focus on mental health in Pakistan. For a population of 240 million, there are only 90 psychiatrists available, while according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there should be one psychiatrist for every 10,000 people. Currently, there is only one psychiatrist for every 550,000 patients, which is highly inadequate.
Speaking at the conference, Dr. Afzal Javed and other experts said that Pakistan is facing economic instability, natural disasters, unemployment, and border tensions, which have all contributed to psychological issues among the people especially the youth, who appear increasingly hopeless about the current situation.
The experts urged the government to take these issues seriously and adopt effective strategies to help the young generation overcome mental health challenges.
They also pointed out that only 4% of Pakistan’s land is covered with trees, which is almost negligible, leading to worsening climate change effects.
