Proper understanding coupled with modified attitude towards biological, emotional and psychiatric condition of all age groups, right from children to adolescent and adult to elderly, was recommended to help ensure stable mental health status ultimately leading to physical and social well being of local population in general.
Experts, speaking at a seminar arranged by Psychiatry Department, Aga Khan University, here on Monday to commemorate World Mental Health Day, highlighted the need to identify and manage mental health problems and possible interventions for promoting mental health across the life span.
It may be pertinent to mention that the World Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10 every year. Theme for current year is "Mental Health Across the Life Span".
Speakers on the occasion included Professor Syed Haroon Ahmed, President, Pakistan Mental Association of Pakistan, Dr Badar Sabir Ali, Chair, Mental Health Research and Development- AKU, Dr Shifa Naeem, Consultant, Psychiatry Department-AKU, Dr Riffat Zaman, Professor, Department of Psychiatry-AKU, Dr Nargis Asad, Clinical Psychologist- AKU and Dr Naim Siddiqui, Psychiatry Department -AKU).
Professor Syed Haroon Ahmed, the chief guest on the occasion, in his presentation "Reflections on Mental Health: Global and Local" mentioned that the present day competitive world has realised the relationship between mental health and productive potentials- creativity, quality of work, work hour loss and compensation etc.
"The United Nations through WHO have labelled job stress as the 21st century world wide epidemic", he reminded.
Despite the scenario, psychiatrists are witnessed to be generally ignorant towards relevance of psychoanalysis, but help understand human behaviour and social determinant of personality, he said.
The senior psychiatrist observed that since the psychotropic drugs started hitting the market, the diagnosis of concerned health care providers was noticed to be guided by the availability of a pill for a disorder.
"I will admit that most of use depends heavily on drugs and have no time to go beyond symptom relief," Dr Haroon commented mentioning that besides antipsychotics, antidepressants, anti anxiety, anti social and anti phobia new in line is anti fatigue medication for chronic fatigue syndrome.
This, he mentioned, holds relevance to other physiological conditions where vaccines are recommended and largely used to prevent wide range of diseases without addressing the actual cause.
At present point of time stress is to make public as well as health care providers realise that 'behaviour' is responsible for not only a large number of psychological disorders but also for major communicable and non communicable diseases.
The global trend focussing at root cause of health conditions is providing opportunity to present day analyst, psychologist and psychiatrists to make the world live differently than we have been living, he said
Dr Shifa Naeem in her presentation 'Childhood Myths and Realities' referred to extreme stance adopted by parents as well as health care providers with regard to psychiatric conditions among kids.
Rem dihct is a fact, but not that every child or a large majority of children be suffering from it, the psychiatrist recommended for necessary provision for counselling of children, coupled with proper understanding between parents and teachers of the child, helping the latter to cope in most efficient manner.
Professor Riffat M Zaman talking of "Adolescence Joys and Sorrows" referred to the aspects of limit setting and control; difference of cultural norms and values: family versus peers.
Reminding that these hold almost universal connotations yet what make children of Asian origin different from their European and American counterparts is their acceptance of their parents' guidance in gaining social acceptance.
The concept of independence and autonomy is different as in the west the individuality aspect and that "I come first" is a norm while in context of Asian societies "Regard for others" holds more relevance, she elaborated.
She further discussed physiological changes taking place in the particular age group of growing individual, which often not understood, nor by most of those around them, leads to conflict and confusion.
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