Psychological problems in Pakistani society

Given the limited financial space available to governments for mental health, it should at least make people realize that mental disorders are just like physical disorders. Psychological problems in Pakistani society

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The suicide of a senior police officer in Rawalpindi, the self-immolation of an unemployed man in Karachi, the suicide of a man in Rawalpindi just two days after his wedding, and the suicide of a girl in Badin due to alleged blackmailing on social media. shows. Vulnerability varies across gender, social group and age groups in Pakistan.women’s mental health in pakistan

An estimated 13,000 people committed suicide in Pakistan in 2012. According to the Pakistan Penal Code, suicide is a criminal act, and all suicides must be reported to the police and evaluated at a medico-legal center. However, families cover up many cases of suicide by declaring it an accidental death because they fear police harassment or complicated legal procedures, or social stigma following the loss of a loved one. Want.Psychological problems in Pakistani society

Suicide rates are two to three times higher in men than in women. It is estimated that by 2030, mental illness will be among the leading causes of death.

Suicide is particularly associated with certain mental disorders. Most suicides are related to mental illness, depression, substance use disorders and psychosis. However, anxiety, personality disorders, eating disorders, and trauma-related disorders as well as organic mental disorders also lead to suicide. According to an estimate, about 90 percent of people who die by suicide are suffering from mental illness.women’s mental health 

Psychiatric disorders come in many colors and shades and can display a wide range of symptoms. Some well-known mental disorders are mood disorders such as depression, personality disorders such as antisocial personality disorder, psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, sexual disorders such as sexual dysfunction, and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

Some common symptoms of mental disorders include agitation, hostility or aggression, alcohol or drug use, changes in energy levels, anxiety, confusion or disconnection, erratic behavior, irritability and mood swings, disturbances in cognition or thought processes ( Psychiatry), eg. Delusions and hallucinations, persistent or sudden mood changes that can interfere with daily life, problem denial, and social withdrawal.

Although poverty is the leading cause of suicide, it is routinely linked to factors unrelated to economic conditions. happened Divorce was seen as a lower risk factor for suicide.

Some personal narratives show that forced marriages, relationship breakdown, child abuse by parents, body shaming, sexual abuse, psychological disorders and poor academic performance are major causes of suicide in Pakistan. Some widely accepted social expectations, such as that a girl should be married off at an early age and have children early in marriage, tolerate her spouse and conform to her in-laws. And in adverse situations all compromises should play an important role. Female suicides.

Psychological problems are widespread in Pakistan. According to an estimate, about 50 million people in Pakistan suffer from mental disorders. A range of psychiatric disorders have been reported, such as depression, substance and alcohol abuse, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. An estimated 36 percent of Pakistanis suffer from anxiety and depression, often due to strained family and friendship relationships, a sense of not fitting into society, the country’s unstable economic and political conditions leading to unemployment and poverty. .Psychological problems in Pakistani society.women’s mental health in pakistan

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes extreme and unusual changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. About 2.4 percent of the world’s population suffers from this disorder. According to a research conducted in various institutions in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, it has been revealed that 14% of young students have bipolar disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder develops in a person who has experienced a traumatic, shocking or frightening event in their life. A study shows that physical assault is the most common cause behind PTSD.Psychological problems in Pakistani society.women’s mental health in pakistan

Drug abuse and addiction are rampant in Pakistan. An estimated 6.7 million adults are using drugs. Among them, the majority fall between the age group of 25 to 39 years. Its symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and decreased interest in daily life and decreased speech.

Families often hide mental illness to protect the patient from negative stereotypes. With nearly one-third of the Pakistani population suffering from some form of mental disorder, and depression being responsible for 90 percent of suicides, neglecting this could spell disaster for the public health system.

There are many myths about the mentally ill. People with psychosis avoid being violent. Second, it is believed that mental illnesses are contagious, meaning that the patient’s evil spirit can affect those who interact with the patient. Third, many people feel that shrines offer the best chance of relief from suffering. It is often reported that patients are physically harmed as part of their treatment. Media also stigmatizes mental illness. Disturbing revelations about spiritual healers in live broadcasts exaggerate the problems of treating mental illness.

Pakistan’s mental health care system is woefully lacking, and the way it is largely managed explains why access to psychological help is such a taboo subject. At the time of independence in 1947, there were three asylum-type hospitals, one each in Hyderabad, Lahore and Peshawar, with a total of 2,000 beds. These were in poor condition with no psychiatrists and were managed only by medical officers. These hospitals were called lunatic asylums or insane asylums, and patients were often brought in in chains.

Prior to the Mental Health Ordinance (MHO) of 2001, the law governing mental health provision was the Lunacy Act of 1912. After the 18th Amendment, health became a provincial subject in Pakistan. The Punjab Government enacted the Punjab Mental Health Act in 2014.

Even after seven decades of independence, the health care system is still not adequate. While the average number of mental health beds per 100,000 population is over 50 in high-income countries, and 11.3 in the more developed countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, the figure for Pakistan is around 1.7. A recent survey found that nearly one-third of respondents believe that people fail to access mental health services because mental health professionals are not accessible.

In the absence of a formally functioning health system adequate to the needs of the population, traditional spiritual healers call the shots in Pakistan. Known as sages, pirs, or sufis, spiritual healers are respected in society. They practice in their residences, clinics, shrines or mosques and explain mental illness in terms of possession by an evil spirit or the magical influence of enemies.Psychological problems in Pakistani society.women’s mental health in pakistan

Treatments include amulets, spiritual healing water, burning incense, or c.hanting mantras. Much to the chagrin and resentment of mental health professionals, spiritual healers enjoy the acceptance of large numbers of people who turn to them for their mental health problems.

Although collaboration between spiritual healers and psychiatrists, as often suggested, has some appeal under certain formal institutional arrangements, there is no denying the fact that public investment is needed to overcome the challenge. is the key. Given the limited fiscal space available to governments to significantly scale up investment in mental health, how and when investment in mental health will occur is an open question. At least the government should try its best to make people realize that mental disorders are just like physical disorders.

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