1 in 3 Pakistani adults faces mental health issues

Nearly one in three adults in Pakistan is currently experiencing a mental or behavioural health problem, according to the country’s first large-scale national survey on mental health.

A report published by Pakistani newspaper Dawn on Sunday said 32% of adults currently have mental or behavioural health issues, while 38% have experienced such problems at some point in their lives.

The study collected data from nearly 18,000 adults across Pakistan’s four provinces between 2018 and 2022. Researchers described it as the most extensive survey of the country’s mental health situation to date. Its findings were recently published in the British Medical Journal.

The survey found symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in one in five participants. More than 10% of adults were found to have depression, while 6% had experienced suicidal thoughts in the preceding month.

Researchers said mental health problems significantly affect family life, social relationships and people’s ability to work.

The prevalence was higher among older people, those with less education and members of low-income households. Unemployed people and those who had lost a spouse, divorced or were living separately also showed higher rates of mental health problems.

The study was led by Raja ur Rehman, a professor at Hamdard University in Pakistan, with contributions from Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the UK, the University of South Florida in the United States and several psychiatric institutions in Pakistan. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics assisted with sampling and survey area selection.

Rehman said the findings would help policymakers identify vulnerable groups, areas with greater needs and gaps in mental health services. He expressed hope that the data would help reduce stigma surrounding mental health and improve access to diagnosis and treatment.

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Source: Dawn