KARACHI, Nov 17: The Pakistan Association for Mental Health (PAMH) has expressed its deep concern over the implication of the ongoing political turmoil in the country on patients of depression and certain other mental and psychological problems.

A remarkable increase in the number of new cases has been witnessed in addition to those pertaining to the relapse of such problems in the previously recovered patients over the past few months.

President of the PAMH Prof S. Haroon Ahmed said that the mental health of the common man attributed the situation to the deteriorating law and order, breakdown of civic services and rising cost of living resulting from the political turmoil, observing that the promulgation of the recently enacted laws had an adverse impact on the new and old patients.

“The most worrying aspect is the increasing number of children suffering from depression and mental stress”, he pointed out.

Abdominal pain, vomiting, crying without a reason and refusal to go to schools are some of the common complaints, he said referring to the cases.

“Psychiatrists have been observing incidence of relapse of anxiety, depression and acute psychosis in settled cases,” he noted.

“Insecurity is deepening due to the crippled judicial system and a crackdown on opponents of the government,” he said, urging the rulers to restore citizens’ fundamental rights and the credible judiciary, besides lifting the emergency.