President Dr Arif Alvi has stressed the need for a comprehensive strategy to address the growing challenge of mental health issues in the country.
Chairing a follow-up meeting on mental health issues in Islamabad today, he called for taking collective measures and adopting an integrated approach involving various stakeholders, including relevant ministries, the Prime Minister’s Office, NGOs, psychiatric associations, and civil society to overcome the mental health burden.During the meeting, the President highlighted that mental health is a major concern, demanding a coordinated approach from all involved parties.He said around 24% of the country's population is facing various mental health issues and 60% of college and university students are under stress.He said that this situation needed the immediate attention of the government, healthcare professionals, civil society organizations, and the media.The President underscored the need for increasing the number of mental health professionals, besides taking steps for the capacity building of human resources to provide quality counselling and assistance to people.Dr Arif Alvi lauded the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between an international NGO and a private media group for raising awareness about mental health issues in Pakistan.