PESHAWAR, Feb 20: Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS) will arrange a three-day international conference from Feb 21 to 23, in order to impart training to doctors and to create awareness among the people regarding the treatment of mental disorders.

Speaking at a news conference, here on Thursday, PPS President  Prof Dr Khalid Mufti said that the 14th international conference would go a long way to train general practitioners regarding the management of the patients suffering from depression, trauma and anxiety.

Flanked by psychiatrists, Dr Syed Mohammad Sultan, Dr Bashir Ahmed and Dr Saeed Farooq, Dr Mufti claimed that 350 delegates had committed to participate in the conference.

Despite the reluctance of the US, UK, Dutch and Australian  governments, to allow their citizens to visit Pakistan after Sept 11, several psychiatrists from these countries would arrive to  present research papers on the psychiatric disorders, the doctors said. 

Special session would also be held for the Afghan people, 40 per cent of whom suffered from permanent depression, mainly due to the prolonged war which had played havoc with the social fabric  in the country. 

There were only two psychiatrists in Afghanistan  due to which 50 per cent of the Afghan patients visited hospitals in Peshawar, the doctors said.

Dr Mufti said lectures would be delivered by the experts to create awareness among the people about the irrational use of psychotic drugs.

The patients, he said, should visit the qualified doctors and should avoid unscientific ways of treatment.

Dr Syed Sultan said the fresh medical graduates would also be provided valuable information regarding the diagnostic ways of psychiatric treatment.

Dr Saeed Farooq said that stress, shock and trauma were  basic causes of depression and women were the worst sufferers, owing to lack of female psychiatrists in the country.