KARACHI, Pakistan: As many as 14 million people in the country are reportedly suffering from mental illness and two million of them are in Karachi.
This was stated by the speakers at a moot organized by the Department of Psychology, University of Karachi, at the campus on Tuesday.
Those who expressed their views on the occasion included Professor Dr. Iqbal Afridi, chairman of the Psychiatry Department of the Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Dr. Anila Malik of the Department of Psychology, University of Karachi, and Professor Dr. Farah Iqbal, Chairperson of the Department of Psychology, University of Karachi.
Dr. Afridi was of the view that there are about 200,000 patients of schizophrenia and that this ailment should also be declared as mental illness.
`We all are vulnerable of stress and mental illness, if stress is not released through words or tears, it may cause damages to human body part, mental patients are also a vital part of our society, they are not violent but affected from violence’ Dr. Afridi remarked.
Mental illness should be taken normally and mental patients must not be ridiculed in any form whatsoever.
Former Chairperson of the Department of Psychology, University of Karachi, Professor Dr. Anila Amber Malik, said that we all experience a moment of stress in our life at least once and that we need to make aware our students about mental stress.
Chairperson of the Department of Psychology, University of Karachi, Prof. Dr. Farah Iqbal welcomed the guests and panelists.
She said that there are various forms of mental illness that includes anxiety, depression, hopelessness, helplessness etc. It weakens the body and minds of people. We need to aggressively tackle these stigmas attached to mental illness.
She said that the Department of psychology will organize a series of awareness seminars.
Associate Professor Rubina Feroz said that social support plays a vital role in dealing with the major diseases notably breast cancer and mental illness. Breast Cancer is not a contagious disease.
Clinical Psychologist Dr Asha Bedar said that stress doesn’t lead to breast cancer directly, but it may be an indirect cause. Women performing night duties are more vulnerable to breast cancer.
Chairman Psychiatry Department Dow University, Prof. Dr. Raza-ur-Rehman, was of the view that the death rate increases if the cancer patient develops depression during the illness.
