One in three Pakistanis suffer from mental illness due to…; Experts flag SERIOUS mental health crisis in Pakistan, say youth are…

Pakistan mental health: Around one in three people in Pakistan suffer from some form of mental health issues, and the country has recorded over 1,000 suicides due to mental stress in the past one year, experts have revealed. The shocking statistics were revealed by psychiatry experts at a recent mental health conference in Karachi, where they raised concerns about the worsening mental health crisis in Pakistan, amid a crumbling economy and institutional instability.

Why mental health is deteriorating in Pakistan?

Top psychiatrists and mental health experts who attended the 26th International Mental Health Conference shared the grave finding at the event, which reveal that around 34 percent of Pakistan’s 256 million population, are plagued by some form of mental illness due to various factors including, economic struggles, social pressures, terrorism, and frequent disasters.

According to the data released at the conference, one in every three people in Pakistan suffer from mental health issues like depression, anxiety, trauma, and suicidal tendencies, which is higher than the global average of 1/5.

What are major causes of depression among Pakistani youth?

The findings also revealed that Pakistan’s youth, particularly women, are increasingly vulnerable to depression triggered by factors like joblessness, social pressure and instability, while around 10 percent of Pakistan’s population are addicted to drugs.

“Cases of severe depression and anxiety have become increasingly commonplace in Pakistan…women in particular suffer from mental health issues due to domestic conflicts and lack of social recognition,” said Professor Muhammad Iqbal Afridi, the Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Karachi Conference.

The veteran psychiatrist noted that drug addiction has emerged as a major cause of deteriorating mental health among youth, who are plagued by hopelessness due to lack of opportunities.

Pakistan lacks psychiatrists

Experts also raised concerns about lack of awareness about mental health in Pakistan, and noted that the country has a very low number of mental health caretakers.

According to data, Pakistan has around 90 psychiatrists for its 256 million population, which is critically low compared to the global health standards, which mandate at least one psychiatrist for every 10,000 people, while the country has one for every 550,000 people.