Millions across country seen vulnerable to mental illnesses

PESHAWAR: Years of exposure to terrorism, displacement, and economic hardships have left millions in Pakistan vulnerable to mental illnesses, said a senior psychiatrist during a session on psycho-politics.

“Mental health does not exist in isolation. It is deeply influenced by political environments, social structures, and collective experiences,” said Prof Dr Khalid Mufti, Chairman of the Pakistan Psychiatric Research Council, while speaking at the session titled “Psycho-politics, regional dynamics, Pakistan and continued ongoing stress,” held at the University of Peshawar’s Department of History.

The session was organised as part of the Dosti Literature Festival under the series “Khutbaat-e-Peshawar.” Academicians, literati, psychologists, and students attended the event.

Some of the prominent participants included Prof Dr Salman Bangash, Chairman of the History Department, University of Peshawar; senior writer Aslam Meer; former chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology Prof Dr Qibla Ayaz; erstwhile vice-chancellor Prof Dr Fazal Rahim Marwat; and former principal of Ayub Medical and Rehman Medical Colleges, Prof Dr Tariq Mufti.

Quoting French philosopher Albert Camus, “When the soul suffers too much, it develops a taste for misfortune,” Dr Khalid Mufti discussed how national traumas create hidden psychological wounds. He emphasized that psychopolitics offers valuable insights into how political ideologies, power struggles, and systemic disruptions affect mental well-being at both individual and community levels.

Speaking about the hidden wounds of nations in conflict, he said that mental health was not an isolated issue. “It is shaped by our political environment, social structures, and collective experiences,” said the speaker, who is also Chief Executive Officer of the Horizon NGO, Peshawar.

He said that psycho-politics helped us understand how political ideologies, power dynamics, and societal conflicts leave lasting psychological impacts. “From the trauma of the Partition to ongoing regional and internal conflicts, Pakistan has experienced a continuous cycle of collective stress,” said Dr Khalid Mufti, who also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Khyber Medical University.

The speaker added that social determinants of health were influenced not just by income or education, but also by national ideologies, military interventions, and global geopolitics. “Psychiatry has always intersected with larger socio-political shifts,” said the resource person, who served as principal of Khyber Medical College over two decades ago.

Regarding Pakistan’s psycho-political landscape, the speaker said the country held a unique position in global politics-strategically located, socially divided, and affected by regional instability and internal strife.

Dr Khalid Mufti pointed out that internal violence, sectarianism, and regional insurgencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan had impacted social cohesion. “The psychological aftermath includes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and collective trauma,” he explained.

He lamented that mental health continued to be under-prioritized in Pakistan. “Cultural stigma, lack of resources, and public apathy have allowed a crisis to grow quietly but steadily,” he elaborated.

The speaker also spoke about the long-term psychological effects of the Afghan conflict, noting that the influx of millions of Afghan refugees altered both the demographic and mental health landscape of Pakistan’s border regions.

“Kalashnikov culture, drug trafficking, and chronic insecurity have left scars on the collective psyche,” he observed.

Children in refugee camps, he added, often lack access to education and healthcare, resulting in intergenerational poverty and psychological distress.

Referencing past initiatives-such as psychosocial support for internally displaced persons in Bannu and resilience training after the Army Public School tragedy of 2014-he acknowledged a significant treatment gap in Pakistan’s mental health services.

Dr Khalid Mufti called for a multi-pronged approach to address the crisis: early detection, community mobilization, collaboration with professionals, NGOs, use of digital platforms, and integration of mental health into economic and social policy frameworks.

“Mental health must no longer be treated as secondary. The psychological wounds caused by conflict and instability require urgent and sustained attention,” he concluded.

His talk was followed by a question-and-answer session, which was a lively one, as those in the audience, particularly students, were encouraged to speak up.