PESHAWAR, May 9: Psychiatrists have underlined the need for provision of entertainment facilities to the people and effecting a change in the way social issues are tackled to cope with depression.

“Lack of entertainment facilities for the general public and playgrounds for the children have been adding to the tally of people inflicted with depression,” said Dr Fawad Khan, a noted psychiatrist.

Speaking at the “Guest Hour Programme” of Peshawar Press Club here Friday, the doctor said that 40 per cent of the population was suffering from depression for one reason or the other but hardly one per cent consulted psychiatrists to seek treatment.

He said two to three per cent of the population was suffering from generalized anxiety disorder which is characterized by recurrent, prolonged and excessive worrying.

He said 80 per cent schools in the NWFP were without playgrounds and other sports facilities. Lack of such facilities and tense environment aggravated the mental health of the children.

People have large families in the NWFP, and not only that parents remain tense, the children also become depressed when they are neglected, Dr Fawad said.

People in the third world countries, including Pakistan, suffered from depression owing to the lack of medical education, poverty and the prevalent social taboos in society.

He said Pakistan had only about seventy qualified psychiatrists, an insufficient number to handle ever-rising cases of depression.

Dr Riaz Shahid said the rate of depression in women was higher because they were the weaker section of society. The conservative environment, and biological and hormonal changes caused depression in them.

Dr Fawad said that depression was increasing but it could be effectively treated, though the risk was higher in individuals with serious medical illnesses like heart diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

“The patients and family members usually ignore the warning signs of depression, and assume that feeling depressed is normal. Such patients go to physicians rather than psychiatrists,” he added.

Dr Riaz said no classes for psychiatry as a subject were held at the undergraduate level at the medical colleges. He demanded of the government to provide training to the graduate doctors in this discipline.

Most graduates opted for either medicine or surgery in their post-graduation and psychiatry went neglected, he noted.