Lahore (HRNW)- Rising inflation, unemployment and persistent economic pressure are not only reducing the purchasing power of people in Pakistan but are also having a serious impact on their mental, psychological and physical health, according to mental health experts.
Experts say that financial hardship, job insecurity, mounting debt and uncertainty about the future are contributing to a growing number of cases involving depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, family conflicts, high blood pressure and heart disease.
According to clinical psychologist Fatima Tahir, the widening gap between income and expenditure creates continuous psychological stress, which can eventually develop into depression, anxiety, anger, fear and hopelessness.
She said that without timely psychological support, these conditions can lead to physical illnesses, social isolation and increased family conflicts.
Dr. Ayesha Imran Murtaza, psychologist, Psychiatric Social Worker and Director of Human Resources at Fountain House, said that rising inflation, unemployment, poverty and financial deprivation are playing a significant role in increasing both the prevalence and severity of mental illnesses in Pakistan.
She explained that economic hardship and life traumas particularly affect low-income families, where limited financial resources and lack of family support worsen mental health conditions.
According to Dr. Ayesha, poverty and mental illness have become closely linked, making it difficult to determine whether poverty causes mental illness or mental illness leads to poverty. She added that many patients cannot afford medication, resulting in repeated psychological episodes, while the illness of the family’s primary breadwinner often destabilizes the entire household.
According to the National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (2019–2022) conducted by the Pakistan Psychiatric Society, 32.3 percent of Pakistan’s adult population suffers from some form of mental illness, while 37.9 percent have experienced a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.
The survey found that anxiety, stress and depression are the most common mental health conditions, with women, low-income communities and urban populations being disproportionately affected.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 24 million people in Pakistan require mental health services, yet the country faces a severe shortage of specialists.
Available statistics indicate that Pakistan has only 300 to 340 psychologists, averaging one psychologist for every 700,000 to 800,000 people. The country also has approximately 478 psychiatrists, 3,145 social workers and only 22 vocational rehabilitation therapists providing mental health services.
Pakistan Psychiatric Society President Professor Wajid Ali Akhundzada said that one in four young people and one in five children suffer from some form of psychological disorder, while around 10 percent of the population is affected by drug addiction.
He stressed that the number of specialists and treatment facilities remains inadequate compared to the growing burden of mental illness and called for mental health to become a central component of Pakistan’s national health and social policy.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government is upgrading the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH), Lahore, with modern facilities for the treatment and rehabilitation of people suffering from mental illnesses. The institute provides psychiatric care, emergency services, drug rehabilitation, rehabilitation centers and professional training under one roof.
The government has also announced plans to expand mental health services to district and tehsil-level government hospitals, enabling more patients to receive treatment closer to their homes.
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