Daily Times

The recent tragedy at a Lahore university campus must act provide the necessary impetus to focus on mental healthcare in the country. For according to WHO, some 6,000 people take their lives here in Pakistan; annually. And experts say that 90 percent of such cases are directly linked to mental health issues going unchecked.

Thus a good place for the government to start is with legislation. Three of the country’s provinces — Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) — have all in recent years introduced mental health acts. Yet implementation has been overwhelmingly lacking. This needs to change as a matter of urgency; while recognising mental healthcare as an important component falling under the purview of provincial health ministries. Thereby leading to investment in specialised training. For as doctors have been known to note: while they understand that depression cannot be treated by drugs alone — they have little option other than to dole these out in the absence of an adequate and functioning support system. This is to say nothing of the situation in government hospitals.

As things currently stand, only the elite has access to proper mental healthcare treatment; at least when it comes to accessing the qualified therapists that do not come cheap. And while many from this class bravely take to social media as part of efforts to try and normalise this subject — this can only happen if the outreach is aimed across all social divides. Moreover, it is not the responsibility of those suffering from mental health issues to do the mainstreaming. It remains the duty of both governments and healthcare professionals. Schools, too, have a role to play when it comes to de-stigmatising the issue. Pakistan is, after all, home to the world’s second-largest population of young people. And according to experts, some 20 percent will likely go on to experience violence and trauma of some sort in their early years. Thus the classroom is where focus on possible triggers can take place.

The bottom line is that the country can no longer ignore mental health challenges. It must step up and honour its domestic and international commitments in this regard. And the next time the state wishes to talk of the sacrifices that Pakistan has made for the US-led war on terror — it might wish to take a moment to recognise the psychological impact borne by an entire generation growing up in the shadows of terrorist attacks, military operations and American drones.  *

Published in Daily Times, December 4^th 2018.