October 10 is observed all over the world as Mental Health Day. According to tradition, this day will also be observed in Pakistan and when this article is in front of you, you might see a picture of an event or a statement of a minister. This day has been celebrated globally since 1992 with the main objective of making people aware of the importance and requirements of mental health. It was started by an international organization “World Federation for Mental Health” but now the World Health Organization (WHO) is also a partner in celebrating this day. One hundred and fifty countries of the world, which are affiliated in agreement with the Health Organization, celebrate this day and reflect on the importance of mental health and the problems it faces in their own way. Every year, some theme is decided regarding this International Day. This year’s theme is “Depression: A Global Crisis.” Although mental stress has always been an important problem, the COVID-19 epidemic has increased tremendously in the last two and a half years. Probably in view of this, the relevant international organizations have made “mental pressure” their special topic. According to the Pakistan Association of Mental Health, around 35 percent of Pakistan’s citizens suffer from some form of minor or major mental disorder. This is a very large number, which is more than seven crores in relation to the total population of Pakistan. The highest number of people suffering from mental illnesses is in Sindh province, where more than 17 percent of Pakistanis have some kind of mental disorder. This figure is 9 percent in Punjab, four per cent in Balochistan, and five per cent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The surprising fact is that Lahore has the highest number of patients suffering from depression and anxiety. Thirteen thousand people commit suicide every year in Pakistan. After that comes the number of Quetta and Karachi. All those causes of mental and nervous stress are prevalent in Pakistan which destroys the peace of people and makes them mentally ill at some level. According to experts, the main causes of this disorder are poverty, economic problems, inflation and unemployment. All four causes are increasing rapidly in Pakistan and mental disorders are also increasing along with them. According to the latest data, currently, around 40 per cent of our population is living below the poverty line according to international standards. This number is more than eight million. Just imagine what kind of problems a family that is suffering from poverty will face. The first problem is two-time bread. If the problem of bread is solved, then there is the need for a place to hide the head, clothes to wear and medical treatment. If these problems are overcome, the parents wish to educate their children. Then there are other day-to-day expenses. Electricity bills, gas bills, marriage and many other miscellaneous expenses. There are also many levels of these families falling below the poverty line. Some maintain the illusion of their whiteness with great difficulty and some spend their time in daily labor. If labour is found, the bread will also be found, otherwise not. Can you imagine what will happen to such families? From the data, it seems as if a person living below the poverty line has become mentally ill. Inflation has risen to record levels in the current era. The prices of essential commodities like flour, ghee, sugar, rice, and dal are on the rise. Similarly, unemployment is also increasing. So this situation is greatly increasing the mental and nervous pressure. Apart from this, the state of law and justice system, sense of insecurity in the society, increasing crime, domestic violence, political instability, general uncertainty, home environment, workplace environment, nature of work, and accidents. Any physical illness can also be the cause of mental stress. The World Health Organization estimated that Post-Covid 19 mental illnesses will increase dramatically and the number of deaths will exceed those of cancer. This organization also says that Pakistan is among the countries where psychiatric patients is increasing. It has been reported that thirteen thousand people commit suicide every year in Pakistan. 95% of those who commit suicide are said to be mentally ill. Every day we read in the newspapers that such and such woman committed suicide by jumping into the canal with her innocent children. Or such and such a man killed his wife and children because he was suffering from poverty. All of them are mentally ill. The sad fact is that neither the previous governments have formulated any system regarding mental or psychiatric diseases in general. No national policy was made regarding mental disorders. Neither was there any campaign for the awareness of the public like the campaigns are going on about epidemics like Dengue, and Corona. There are also reports that a child, an elderly person, or a woman was kept in chains in such and such a house. The government takes the action of chaining the person who does this, but this does not solve the problem. We also have a severe shortage of psychologists. According to statistics, only one doctor is available for four million mentally ill children. Media is also not playing any role in awareness campaigns. Prices of medicines are skyrocketing. Psychiatric clinics are non-existent. Aka Daka insane asylums of the British era are the treatment centres for these unfortunate people. It has been observed that people suffering from mental and psychological diseases, especially children and women, are approached by foot healers or amulet sellers. Healing from these things is rare, but disease and treatment enter the circle. Another problem we have is that mental illness is considered a stigma and is hidden. In these circumstances, the government must pay special attention to this important national issue. The facility of mental treatment centres should be increased and through the media, people should be informed about the causes, treatment and preventive measures of all psychological diseases including depression. The writer can be reached at aminwastoo@gmail.com.