Mental health in Pakistan
Pakistan has a growing mental health crisis with an estimated 50 million people experiencing mental health issues but unable to access support due to stigma, awareness and lack of services. To address this critical need, we have been working to improve the lives of people with mental health issues in Pakistan for over a decade to not only help those in need, but to fundamentally change the mental health landscape.
Sanam Saeed
“The more open we are about [mental health], the more we speak up about the issues, the more we acknowledge the mental health crisis around us, the easier it will be for people to seek help, to support one another and to pay attention to their own emotions and mental health.”
The problem
Without appropriate support, mental health conditions can significantly worsen a person’s health and contribute to poverty and exclusion. In Pakistan, mental health remains under-resourced, with only 500 psychiatrists across the whole of Pakistan (a ratio of one psychiatrist to 100,000 people).
At present, mental health is not part of the curriculum for trainee doctors or other health professionals. Consequently, almost 90% of those in need of treatment in the country have no access to any kind of support. Misinformation and stigma are also rife, with many people unaware, unable or unwilling to seek support and treatment.
Our solution
We want to fundamentally transform the mental health landscape across Pakistan by destigmatising and raising awareness of mental health, promoting accessible and affordable services for all and building coalitions of support to drive change.
Our programme
With the catalytic support of key donors, supporters and local partners, over the last decade we have been steadily transforming mental health awareness and services in Pakistan. To achieve the change we want to see on a national scale, our work is focussed on three key areas:
- Promoting access to community-based mental health services through primary health care setting and schools
- Reducing stigma and building awareness of mental health in the community
- Working together for systemic and policy changes for better mental health.
Key projects
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Integrating mental health into primary care services
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School mental health
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Working with the most vulnerable street children
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Reducing stigma and building awareness of mental health in the community
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Working together for systemic and policy changes for better mental health
Jonathan Freeman MBE
“Working with the British Asian Trust allows us to reach thousands of people in need of mental health support in Pakistan and bring attention to the topic of mental health care.”
Reports
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Mental health; Lifting shadows 2018 - 2021
