Inflation fuels mental health crisis in Pakistan

Rising prices unemployment and ongoing financial pressure are not only reducing people’s buying power in Pakistan but are also affecting their mental and physical health.

Mental health experts say that money problems job insecurity growing debt, and uncertainty about the future are leading to higher rates of depression anxiety stress sleep problems irritability family conflicts high blood pressure and heart disease.

Clinical psychologist Fatima Tahir explained that when income is lower than household expenses people experience constant stress.  Over time this can develop into depression anxiety anger fear and hopelessness.

She warned that without timely mental health support these problems can also lead to physical illness social isolation and family disputes.

Psychiatrist and social worker Dr. Ayesha Imran Murtaza who has worked at Fountain House for more than 20 years said inflation unemployment poverty and financial hardship are major reasons behind the growing number of mental health cases in Pakistan.

She noted that people with low incomes are more likely to suffer from emotional trauma and mental illness because they often lack family support and cannot afford treatment.

According to her poverty and mental illness create a cycle in which each problem makes the other worse.

When patients cannot afford medicine their condition often worsens and if the family’s only breadwinner becomes ill the entire household is affected.

According to the Pakistan Psychiatric Society National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (2019–2022) 32.3% of adults in Pakistan are living with a mental health disorder while 37.9% have experienced one at some point in their lives.

Anxiety stress and depression are the most common conditions with women low income groups and people living in cities being more affected.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 24 million people in Pakistan need mental health services.

However the country faces a severe shortage of specialists. Pakistan has only around 300 to 340 psychiatrists meaning there is roughly one psychiatrist for every 700,000 to 800,000 people.

The country also has about 478 psychologists, 3,145 social workers and only 22 occupational therapists working in mental health care.

According to Prof. Wajid Ali Akhundzada, one in four young people and one in five children in Pakistan are dealing with mental health issues while around 10% of the population struggles with drug addiction.

He stressed that the number of mental health professionals and treatment facilities is far below the country’s growing needs making mental health a national priority.

Meanwhile the Punjab government is upgrading the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) in Lahore to improve treatment and rehabilitation services.

The institute is expanding psychiatric care emergency services addiction treatment rehabilitation programs and professional training under one roof.

The government also plans to extend mental health services to district and tehsil level public hospitals so that more patients can receive treatment closer to home.