'World Mental Health Day 2004' is being celebrated under the auspices of World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), which is an international mental-health organisation, across the world, including Pakistan, on Sunday, October 10 with a pledge that efforts for creation of a healthy society, elimination of poverty and creating more awareness among people about psychiatric problems would continue to be made.
This year the day is observed with the theme of 'the relationship between physical and mental health: co-occurring disorders'.
The selection of this theme reflects the need to increase awareness of the importance of considering health as a whole-body concern.
The World Health Organisation has stated that mental health is as important as physical health to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries.
World Mental Health Day takes place on October 10 each year with the aim to raise awareness of mental health issues on a global scale. It has now firmly established itself as an international day and is recognised across the world.
To mark the Day, walks, seminars, scientific sessions, symposiums, and special functions will be held across the country.
The day also calls attention to the pressing need to promote enlightened public policy, increase availability of treatment services, and develop and implement effective preventive strategies in order to reduce the sufferings of those facing mental illness.
In Lahore, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Allama Iqbal Medical College, different NGOs and health organisations have chalked out separate programmes to celebrate the day. Pakistan Association for Mental Health, Pakistan Psychiatry Association, Mental Health Resource Centre, Fountain House Lahore have also planned various activities to mark the Day.
According to the World Health Organisation, world-wide, up to 20 percent of children and adolescents have an impairing mental illness. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents.
Mental Health professionals told Business Recorder here on Thursday that one in every four Pakistanis is to face a mental health problem at some point in their lives. As such, mental illness is feared by many people and, unfortunately, still carries a stigma (a stigma is defined as a mark or sign of disgrace). Because of this stigma, many people hesitate to get help for a mental health problem for fear of being looked down upon.
They said it is unfortunate that this happens because effective treatment exists for almost all mental illnesses. Worse, the stigma experienced by people with a mental illness can be more destructive than the illness itself. Until people learn the truth, they will continue to deny that mental illness exists at all or to avoid the topic entirely.
Many studies show that most mentally ill people have average or above-average intelligence. Mental illness, like physical illness, can affect anyone regardless of intelligence, social class or income level, they said. Mental illness is caused by a personal weakness.
A mental illness is not a character flaw. Its an illness, and it has nothing to do with being weak or lacking will-power, they pointed out. Although people with mental illness can play a big part in their own recovery, they did not choose to become ill, and they are not lazy because they cannot just "snap out of it. "Mental illness is not a single disease but a broad classification for many disorders. Anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, eating disorders and organic brain disorders can cause misery, tears and missed opportunities", they added.
According to them, the increase in mental illness in Pakistan could be attributable to poverty, unemployment, political instability, violence and other social evils, besides genetic and biological vulnerability.
Talking about social anxiety disorder, which is also known as social phobia, they said it is triggered by social or performance situations in which one may be the focus of attention or evaluated negatively by others.
Some of the symptoms of social anxiety disorder include fear of looking foolish, fear of public speaking, fear of making conversation, sweating, shaking or nausea in public, fear of public places and meeting new people.
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