National Symposium on Depression held

Rawalpindi: Depressive disorders are common in all regions of the world and depression affecting every class of society in a variety of ways where individuals are losing interest and pleasure in their usual activities, feeling worthless, tend to isolate from society.

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders worldwide, said Professor Dr Muhammad Amjad Chaudry, registrar, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, at a National Symposium on Depression, organised by Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS) in collaboration with Department of Psychiatry Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad and Pakistan Medical Association held here on Saturday, says a press release.

He added that some of the more common factors involved in depression are family history, trauma and stress, pessimistic personality, physical conditions and other psychological disorders.  Professor Dr Syed Aslam Shah, principal, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad on the occasion said that depression is a serious health condition affecting millions of people each year. The total cost in human suffering is impossible to estimate. Depression often impairs many aspects of our everyday lives and affects not only those who are depressed, but also those who care about the depressed person.

President of PPS and chairman of organising committee Dr Mazhar Malik said that several international and national mental health organisations have been providing educational, academic, research trainings and crisis intervention. From the platform of PPS various CME programmes are being organised in the country addressing common psychiatric disorders for primary care physicians.  Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, Professor Khalid Mufti, Dr. M Arshad Rana, Dr. Manzor Ahmad and Dr Nisar Hussain also shared their views with the participants.

More than 200 doctors, medical students and representatives of pharmaceutical firms attended the inaugural session of the 8th National Symposium on Depression.