KARACHI, Oct 9: Pakistan will be observing World Mental Health Day on October 10 with the theme ‘Building awareness-reducing mental illness and risk for suicide’.

The day this year holds particular relevance to the country that had completed, only two days back, the first year of the enormous destruction caused due to the massive earthquake killing around 73,000 people.

The number of injuries was much higher, while extent of emotional trauma was difficult to gauge.

Psychiatrists fear that since last year, the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders has been increased in the country, affecting people of all age groups.

Mental disorders in all parts of the world could also be attributed to violence, terrorism, economic crisis, political instability and natural disasters.

In the current era it is not only important to address the mental health issues but the physical disorders at the same time as both compliment each other.

It has been known through researches that mental disorders like depression and schizophrenia have been associated with cardiac ailments, hypertension diabetes and some other physical disorders.

Dr S. Ajmal Kazmi, a senior psychiatrist and coordinator, Karwan-i-Hayat, Psychiatric Care and Rehabilitation Centre observed that psychiatric problems largely went undetected in rural areas and that situation was not very different in urban areas too.

“WHO estimates 10 per cent of the world population requiring psychiatric intervention and assuming Karachi's population at 15 million there should be 1.5 million needing care,” he said.

The psychiatrist maintained that if even 10 per cent of these 1.5 million happened to be serious patients requiring hospitalisation, Karachi ought to have 150,000 beds whereas the city has only 350 beds in all the government and private hospitals.

Dr Kazmi also referred to the WHO formula “Disability — affected life years”, which was a combined measure of the time lost as a result of premature mortality and the time lived with disability.

The senior psychiatrist reminded that poverty, over-crowding, poor living conditions, unemployment, job insecurity further enhances public vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. Worldwide there are estimated to be 400 million people with anxiety disorder and 340 million with mood disorders.

SEMINARS: The Department of Psychology, University of Karachi, will hold a seminar to mark the occasion.