Mental health in Pakistan
Pakistan has a growing mental health crisis with an estimated 50 million people experiencing mental health issues but unable to access support due to stigma, awareness and lack of services. To address this critical need, we have been working to improve the lives of people with mental health issues in Pakistan for over a decade to not only help those in need, but to fundamentally change the mental health landscape.
Sanam Saeed
“The more open we are about mental health, the more we speak up about the issues, the more we acknowledge the mental health crisis around us, the easier it will be for people to seek help, to support one another and to pay attention to their own emotions and mental health.”
The problem
An estimated 50 million people (one in four) people in Pakistan will experience mental health issues. Stigma and poor awareness mean many people do not seek help, and 90% of those needing treatment cannot access support. This has worsened for many people since the COVID-19 pandemic and recent devasting floods.
Pakistan has only approximately 500 psychologists and 400 psychiatrists, with only a handful of child psychiatrists. We cannot rely on these few professionals to change the landscape of mental health in Pakistan – we need to all come together to highlight this very important and often neglected issue to drive change.
Our solution
We want to fundamentally transform the mental health landscape across Pakistan by destigmatising and raising awareness of mental health, promoting accessible and affordable services for all and building coalitions of support to drive change.
Our programme
With the catalytic support of key donors, supporters and local partners, over the last decade we have been steadily transforming mental health awareness and services in Pakistan. To achieve the change we want to see on a national scale, our work is focussed on three key areas:
- Promoting access to community-based mental health services through primary health care setting and schools
- Reducing stigma and building awareness of mental health in the community
- Working together for systemic and policy changes for better mental health.
Key projects
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Integrating mental health into primary care services (2022-2025)
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Working with the most vulnerable street children (2022-2025)
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Reducing stigma and building awareness of mental health in the community
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Working together for systemic and policy changes for better mental health
Jonathan Freeman MBE
“Working with the British Asian Trust allows us to reach thousands of people in need of mental health support in Pakistan and bring attention to the topic of mental health care.”
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News & events
The British Asian Trust and the Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation sign MOU for upcoming mental health campaign
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Past work
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School mental health programme
Reports
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Mental health; Lifting shadows 2018 - 2021
