KARACHI, Oct 29: A team of psychiatrists led by Prof Syed Haroon Ahmed, President of the Pakistan Association of Mental Health, left for Mansehra on Saturday morning to extend the required care to earthquake victims and providing relevant training to the volunteers working in the quake-ravaged areas.

Prof Haroon, talking to APP, said many of the affected people were suffering from Acute Stress Disorder and there was an urgent need for providing necessary emotional solace and psychological counselling to them along with relief and other equally essential material support. Constant aftershocks were Constant aftershocks in the area is further aggravating their state of Acute Stress Disorder, the psychiatrist said reminding that this first phase can lead to Post Stress Trauma Disorder, to which even those working for relief of the victims may get exposed to. aggravating the disorder further, the psychiatrist said warning that this first phase could lead to the Post Stress Trauma Disorder, which even relief workers might get exposed to.

He recalled that the PAMH had recently launched a crash programme under which common people were being trained to understand the mental condition of a patient having gone through an ordeal following such events.

Some groups of teachers have already left for the quack-hit areas, Prof Haroon said, adding that the PAMH team, working in collaboration with the PMA, would start its activities at the PMA’s base camp in Mansehra. —APP