International Psychiatric Conference concludes in Lahore

LAHORE: The International Psychiatric Conference concluded at a local hotel on Sunday, with recommendations for the government to take steps for ensuring services for the treatment of ever-growing mental health problems in the country.

The three-day moot organised by Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS) formulated a number of recommendations in the light of input taken from experts from Pakistani and foreign experts: Creation of posts for psychiatrists at the district level was recommended as the existing posts were not enough to fulfil the requirements of such a huge population of Pakistan. Pakistan has one of the lowest patient-to-doctor ratio in mental health in the world i.e. one psychiatrist for more than half a million people. It recommended incorporating child, genetics and forensic psychiatry services in the existing mental health system by introducing their fellowship and degree programmes. It also recommended introduction of psychiatry as a major subject at the undergraduate level. The moot recommended making amendments to the Mental Health Act after consultations with the experts. It demanded promulgation of the Act also in the provinces where such law did not exist.

During plenary session on child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr Zoobia Ramazan spoke on psychiatric morbidity among sexually abused children in intact versus broken families. Prof Saleem Jehangir chaired a session titled “Psychiatry: Neurosciences and Spirituality.” Dr Naeem Siddiqui spoke on neurosciences or spirituality: confusion or Reality, Prof Shahid Rashid on psychological and spiritual growth, Dr Rida Hanif on trends of visiting faith healers among patients with various psychiatry illnesses in Pakistan, Dr Ayesha Silwat on the impact of spiritual practices on the mental health.

Prof Ghulam Rasool chaired a session on mood disorders. Dr Amer Abbas Qureshi spoke on major depressive disorders among epileptic patients, Dr Imtiaz Ahmed Dogar on psychiatric co-morbidity associated with mental disorders, Prof Asif Bashir on deep brain stimulation (DBS) and psychosurgery, current and future applications, Dr Rana Muzammil Shamsher Khan on frequency of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in depression.