Call for early warning signs to detect illness

KARACHI - World Mental Health Day was observed throughout the City at renowned mental clinics, mental hospitals and at the Psychology Department of the University of Karachi. The main theme at the PMA House was based on the topic, Mental Health in Primary Care: Enhancing Treatment and Promoting Mental Health. The campaign stresses the increasing important trends in which the mental health is being treated worldwide. Speaking at the welcome address at the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) House, renowned psychiatrist Haroon S Ahmad said, In 1974, when the field of psychiatry become a prominent field of study there were only 35 practicing psychiatrists in Karachi. Few disorders were treated and fewer people were visited the mental health clinics. Now times have changed and trained mental health workers are providing care and assistance to those who are in need. As many as 11 per cent of todays patient is being referred to a psychiatrist by a family physician and 73 per cent of the patients are referred by the patients themselves. In 2009, as many 13,000 patients have been treated at my clinic in Saddar. So it is a growing concern. Guest lecture was delivered by Arif Yousufzai, who spoke on the topic titled, Psychological Impact of Traumatic Stress. He said as many as 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the people worldwide suffered from stress. There were two types of stresses type one and type two. Type one stress results in isolation and type two results in long, sustained and repeated ordeal. Most people suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) which was being recovered in three months and one third of the total patients had to take a chronic course. Aziz Khan Tank spoke on Mental Health in Primary Care. He said 80 per cent of the physical problems were related to mental health concerns and must be given primary care at the earliest. Family doctors and general practitioners should be able to provide mental healthcare services to the patients in the primary care setup. There were at present 450 million individuals living worldwide, and the number could be greatly reduced if they were treated at the primary level. Waris Kidwai spoke on Mental Health at Home, Work and School. The statistics he provided were evident of the fact which we generally neglect in our daily lives. He said, Today one in five children across the world is suffering from a diagnosable disorder and two-third of the children are not getting the required care needed to deal with mental health problems. One in ten children today at the global level suffers from anxiety and one in 33 is currently suffering from depression. ADHD, is most prominent disease to have struck the young minds. Kidwai further said, As many as one-third children under 12 years of age are suffering from bi-polar disorder and sadly suicide is the third most leading cause of death amongst young children. He said at workplace before the action of burnout takes place, one must see the physical signs and psychological symptoms which leads to behavioral problems. Psychiatrists Amanat Mohsin, Sirajuddin, Naim Siddiqui, Uzma Ambreen, Badar Sabir Ali, Rubeena Kidwai and Nazila Khalid were also present on the occasion.