How to Take Care of Pakistan’s Mentally Ill

Posted on February 6, 2008
Filed Under >Irum Sarfaraz, Society
14 Comments
Total Views: 90117

Irum Sarfaraz

Note: Clicking on the photos in this post will take you to their parent site.

If one was to analyze the worst of all afflictions of the Pakistani society, then mental illnesses and the stigmas attached to it would, in all probability, top the list.

Perhaps not so much for the actual damage they render to the suffering individual but for the other spin-off consequences that result as a direct cause of mental problems. The shame associated with mental illness, even if just depression, permeates every class of the society indiscriminately and the women are the worst casualties of it and that’s why is important they recommend products like the live resin THC cartridges here as these help with anxiety and depression.

Estimates put the figure of the total mentally ill at 14 million and the larger percentage of this is women. They suffer gravely if it is their husbands or other family members who are suffering from the mental illness and they suffer even more if they themselves are ensnared in it. One can understand the reasons for the ‘shame and dishonor’ it entails for the uneducated rural masses but to realize that the same level of degradation is associated with any form of mental illness in the urbanites as well seems unfathomable. But it is nevertheless, sadly true.

Although there is a clear lack of resources for the mentally ill in Pakistan, the stigma surrounding mental illness is a significant barrier to improvement. Lahore’s University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Malik Hussain Mubashir notes that Pakistan has only one psychiatrist for every 10,000 people, one child psychiatrist for every four million children with mental health issues, and just four major psychiatric hospitals for a population of 165 million. Additionally, there are only about 20 psychiatric units attached to teaching hospitals. This is certainly inadequate, but the societal perception of mental illness must change before people can fully utilize any available treatment facilities.

Despite efforts by the government to educate the public, the situation appears to be worsening. Ijaz Haider from Allama Iqbal Medical College reported at a World Health Day seminar in October 2007 that mental illness had increased from 6 to 9 percent in the country. The Pakistan Association for Mental Health indicates that untreated depression, particularly among women due to socio-economic factors, is leading to a rise in suicide rates. In 2006 alone, there were 1717 cases of suicide, highlighting the depth of despair and depression among the populace. Murad Khan of the Aga Khan University in Karachi also identified suicide as a major public health problem in his 2006 paper for the Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association.

A solution could involve mass public education and a campaign to debunk myths, such as the ‘jinn’ factor. The rapid increase in mental health issues seems to correlate with the proliferation of ‘aamils’ and ‘peers’, who exploit people’s fear of public knowledge of mental illness. This exploitation often leads to worsening conditions for the mentally ill, who, instead of seeking proper help, rely on ineffective remedies. This not only exacerbates the individual’s illness but also affects those around them, often leading to clinical depression.

A Hong Kong family advocacy group’s poll found that depression is common among caregivers of the mentally ill. The poll, conducted from June to September 2007, interviewed 113 people, with 70 of them experiencing depression, sometimes severe. Patients’ rights activist Pang Hung-Cheong of the Society for Community Organization noted that family members living with mentally unstable patients face more pressure than those living separately. The recommended treatment for such depression typically involves Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and medications. However, in Pakistan, accessing such treatment remains a distant dream for many, both for the mentally ill and their caregivers.

With over 85% of Pakistani families living in the joint family system, the rising rate of mental illnesses can be easily understood; for every one undiagnosed, untreated mentally ill person in the country we will probably end up with three or more who become sick because of him, places like the Dispensary downtown LA are really needed in these areas as there’s nothing being offered to cope with mental health conditions.  The wide variety of products offered by this cannibis store may help people who are struggling with mental health issues.

The higher incidence of mental illness among women is partly due to societal fears. Once a woman is diagnosed with a mental illness, even something as common as minor depression, she risks being labeled as ‘insane’ for life, which can significantly affect her marriage prospects. While this stigma also applies to men, it’s another unfortunate aspect of our social system that men often face fewer consequences for their actions, even serious ones. For women, the pressure to marry compounds the issue, leading families to ignore mental health issues to avoid the ‘insane’ label that might deter suitors.

This situation often leads to more tragic outcomes. When a woman with untreated mental illness is married off, she may struggle to cope with the demands of her new life, ending up in a worse situation than if she had remained with her parents. Proper treatment could have helped her become a happy, healthy, and functional member of society, even if unmarried. Instead, she might end up divorced and stigmatized, labeled both ‘insane’ and ‘divorced’ – a double stigma in Pakistani society.

A potential solution is to increase public awareness of mental health issues, much like the recent campaigns on family planning. Television, a popular medium in our society, could be used to educate the public about mental health, incorporating these themes into dramas, especially those watched by women. People need to recognize the signs of depression in themselves and others, understanding that it is a treatable disease. By fostering a healthy mental state, individuals can contribute to healthier homes and handle life’s stresses better.

14 responses to “How to Take Care of Pakistan’s Mentally Ill”

  1. Tina says:

    Irum,

    kudos for your courage in writing this kind of an article. I would point out that women make up the majority of mentally ill people in all countries in the world, including the States. However in countries where gender segregation is practiced the difference becomes remarkable. Whereas in the States a slight majority of mentally ill people are women (although women make up 70% to 80% of sufferers of certain disorders), in Saudi Arabia 95% of the inmates of asylums are women!

    A lot of work to do worldwide.

    I agree with the poster who states that family intermarriage inflames genetic tendencies to mental illness.

    Unfortunately, I too have witnessed both men and women married off to seriously mentally ill people, but it was hidden until the wedding was over. In one case the girl was married off to a man who had been diagnosed as bipolar in the States and his family even knew he was apt to be dangerous, so they brought him back to Pakistan to be married. On the other hand, I know of a couple of men who were married without their knowledge to very sick girls.

    I heard about, but did not know personally, a family who married off a son with Down’s syndrome to a girl without the knowledge of the girl, and the girl’s family was quieted with expensive household gifts.

    These cases go to show how much the attitudes need to change. It’s an uphill battle to be sure. I wonder if the answer will be what it is in America, to just flood the population with cheap antidpressant drugs and leave everyone stupefied into a “normal” state.

  2. temporal says:

    Irum:

    you wrote on a serious issue that is almost shoved under the rug

    agree with your assessment

    awareness should be highlighted

    and treatment should be made available

  3. This article reminds me of an old lady scavenging for food amidst a war zone….

    who cares about this old lady in a war like this….

    I totally agree with the pagal-talaq-shuda-‘syndrome’, ive seen first hand cases of such.

  4. Rafay Kashmiri says:

    Irum Sarfraz,

    Taboo-subject, Pakistani institution’s references might
    have some doubts, with their figures.
    I don’t consider them reliable, the Hospitals, Clinics,
    Colleges, Universities.
    Can we trust their estimations ? any recognized official
    survey approved by medical Board in Pakistan and not in
    USA or UK ?
    “44% women” gives me some doubts about “feminist”
    discriminations, politically based tussle between Freudians and antis, particularly Freudians urging launching a major campaign against ” jinn factors ” by ‘educating’ the masses
    to believe in imported material, so a jinn factor verses Sigmond Freud apparently a Human spicies, but
    of course, no “educated” master mind dares to approve the
    “jinn factor ” confirmed by Quran.
    Do I Need to mention here the qualifications of Freud in the field of psycology? Perhaps we should go back to our
    sub-conti socio-psychology ? I was told !by Germans.
    The social disorder in Pakistani mental health generally,
    should be proned into thru the follwoing:

    Genetic disorder-risk : marriages with first-cousins, same tribes, clans, zaat and ‘caste’.

    Wrong medicins, treatments, therapies and abuses of
    overdoses of heavey (experimental medicaments ?).

    Social changes imposed on Pakistani Eastern muslim
    environments. On the contrary, ancient social customs strange to “normal” muslim culture of Pakistan is the
    major current issue of enormous contradictions, these
    2000 years old “Hindu traditions” have been inherited
    while obtaining freedom.
    We have to get rid of them, and all of them.

    The transition from old joint family system has its bizare
    consequences, not knowing what to adopt ? we are systemacally brought towards single choice, the famous
    “be western, speak western, eat western, behave western ”
    obssesion. The cheap “American dream a la Pakistanaise”.

    And the Criminal absence of responsibility of ministry of health and allround social healthcare system which was
    one of the basic Islamic rights that all Pakistanis would
    have enjoyed, but then Pakistanis have non of those promised Islamic Rights.The seculars are simply not at all
    interested in social justice, The leftist failed 100 times,
    bla bla bla bla, even roti, Kapra aur Makan were confiscated
    by the same slogan-hurlers.

    No wonder your ” estimations” might shock many of us, but
    lets face the reality. My older sister is a Ph.d child psychologist from Swedish University, her thesis on psychoPakistan was revealing.

    Peers and Aamils are equally for Jahils and educated
    Jahils.

  5. Very informative post about a very serious problem from which our society is suffering badly. The peoples in our society espeically in rural areas, majorely, are against the women education especially about their own problems. I’ve saw many cases, in which minor dieseas caused serious problem due to traditional (desi) null or incomplete treatment.
    It’s true to some extent, that our society, is also suffering from ‘aamils’ and ‘pirs’, who for the sake of money, try to taunt and hurt peoples especially women. And this bad thing was also done by the women too, mostly some relative of some girl due to bias or some other factor.
    Your suggestion are appreciateable and we all, especially men take care of their problems and understand them.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*