Karachi: With one in three Pakistanis estimated to be struggling with psychological distress, the country is facing a deepening mental health emergency driven by recurring natural disasters, economic instability, and mass displacement, medical and mental health experts warned on Friday.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, experts associated with the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) urged the government to make mental health a national priority within emergency and health planning frameworks, saying millions are living with untreated trauma while the system remains severely unprepared to respond.
Marking World Mental Health Day 2025, observed under the theme “Mental Health in Disasters and Emergencies: Access to Services,” the PMA said Pakistan’s repeated exposure to floods, earthquakes, and humanitarian crises has led to an epidemic of psychological suffering.
Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, Secretary General of the Pakistan Medical Association (Centre), said investing in mental health is an investment in national security and economic recovery. “A mentally healthy population is more productive, resilient, and capable of rebuilding after crises,” he said. “Millions of Pakistanis carry deep psychological wounds caused by disasters and conflict. Providing them access to care is not charity—it is their fundamental right.”
The PMA noted that mental health remains one of the most neglected areas of Pakistan’s healthcare system, with fewer than 500 practicing psychiatrists serving a population of over 240 million, and only a small number of primary healthcare facilities offering basic psychological support.
“Disasters in Pakistan do not just destroy homes and livelihoods; they leave invisible scars on the minds of those who survive them,” Dr. Shoro said. “We must recognize that without mental health, there is no health.” He added that untreated trauma often leads to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, domestic violence, and, in some cases, suicide, particularly among women and children.
According to the PMA, frequent climate disasters, the ongoing economic downturn, and widespread displacement have created a silent epidemic of stress and hopelessness. It said the country’s fragile healthcare infrastructure collapses every time a major emergency strikes, leaving survivors without access to psychological first aid or trauma counseling.
Frontline doctors report witnessing the devastating long-term impact of untreated trauma daily, especially in disaster-affected areas where fear, loss, and uncertainty often evolve into chronic mental illness.
Mental health experts stressed that the government must recognize psychological well-being as part of national security and disaster resilience. They called for integrating mental health into primary healthcare by training general practitioners, paramedics, and Lady Health Workers to identify and manage common disorders using the WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme model.
The association recommended that every Basic Health Unit (BHU) and Rural Health Centre (RHC) be equipped to provide essential mental health services, especially in disaster-prone areas. It also urged the government to allocate a specific share of the National and Provincial Disaster Management Authority budgets for mental health and psychosocial support. This should include stockpiling essential psychiatric medicines and establishing trauma counseling centers that can be activated immediately after disasters.
The PMA further proposed forming multidisciplinary emergency response teams—including psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers—to be deployed alongside physical relief teams in disaster zones.
Pakistan’s severe shortage of trained professionals, the PMA warned, remains a major barrier to care. It called for expanding postgraduate training seats in psychiatry and clinical psychology and offering financial incentives to specialists willing to serve in underdeveloped regions such as Balochistan, rural Sindh, southern Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The association also emphasized the need to provide confidential counseling and stress management services for frontline healthcare workers and emergency responders, who face high levels of secondary trauma.
Stigma, the PMA said, continues to be one of the greatest barriers to mental healthcare in Pakistan. It urged the government to launch a sustained national awareness campaign through television, radio, and social media to normalize seeking help for mental distress. Community and religious leaders, it added, should be mobilized to counter misconceptions and promote compassion toward people living with mental illness.
The association also called for strict enforcement of the Mental Health Act to protect patients’ rights and end discrimination in employment, education, and access to care.
The PMA said it stands ready to collaborate with the Ministry of National Health Services, provincial health departments, and the National Disaster Management Authority to implement reforms that make mental healthcare accessible to all. It warned that ignoring the growing mental health crisis would be a grave mistake and that Pakistan can no longer afford to leave its citizens’ psychological wounds untreated.
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