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Teachers’ role important in addressing mental health issues

By Bureau report
November 18, 2018

PESHAWAR: Distinguished psychiatrist and the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) President-elect Dr Afzal Javed has stressed the need for giving proper attention to mental health issue at the school level as teachers being in close contact with the children can play a big role in identifying the problems.

“Up to 70 percent mental illnesses appear between zero to 25 years. Unfortunately, the prevention and promotion in this age group is minimum in the developing countries,” the Birmingham-based psychiatrist from Lahore told The News.

He was in Peshawar to attend a seminar arranged by the Horizon welfare-based non-governmental organisation for management of autism in children.

The WPA chief said school mental health is a very important topic in the United Kingdom.

“Schools in UK have psychologists and teachers are vigilant. Kids’ psychological assessment is carried out. They are referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services if need be. You cannot go without these services,” he said while emphasising his point.

“The situation can be improved in Pakistan if we are able to identify and treat the children with mental health challenges at the family and school level,” explained the expert who is a graduate of the King Edward Medical College, Lahore and has served as a consultant psychiatrist at the Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

Dr Afzal Javed, who has remained part of a number of international psychiatry organisations, including the Asian Federation of Psychiatric Association, said school-based mental health facilities are non-existent in Pakistan.

“I will suggest there should be training courses for the teachers at small scale as an initial step to improve the situation,” he said, adding, patients’ families too were important in addressing the mental health issue.

“The WPA, through its zonal chapters, is arranging training programmes for patients and their families, care-providers to know how to identify these illnesses and later turn to the mental health professionals. This can lessen the impact of the illnesses through prevention and promotion,” he pointed out.

He believed that three institutions can greatly support mental health. “Religion strengthens our beliefs to look at our problems; family gives us the sense of belonging and qualified professionals help with treatment,” he maintained.

Dr Afzal Javed said WPA is a representative association of professional psychiatrists. “We have chapters in 140 countries. Here it is Pakistan Psychiatric Society. The worldwide membership is about 250,000,” he elaborated.

He said the association is seeking coordination among the members to have joint teaching programmes. “We are encouraging the members to get projects from the developed countries to help the low income and middle-income countries. We encourage our local professionals to take part in teaching, training and research,” he added.

“The seminar-cum-training by Horizon is part of these efforts. Professor Dr Khalid Mufti has chosen a very important topic (managing autism) which is very much needed,” he said.

Dr Afzal Javed said the WPA prepares policies and strategies which are handed to the members to have them implemented in respective countries. “This is our worldwide recognition. It makes a difference when the local mental health professionals tell the Health Ministry that these are the WPA guidelines,” he said.

The WPA chief believed psychiatry is not given enough importance while teaching a medical student. “We want to convince the medical colleges that not all the medical students would become psychiatrists but every one of them must be imparted the skill to identify mental health issues and able to make referrals,” he added.

“The researches have proved that physical illnesses may be precipitated because of psychological illnesses. We can work keeping in view the prevention and that is possible if every medical doctor knows a bit more about psychiatry so that if he examines a patient and finds something psychological, he is able to refer the case to a psychiatrist,” he argued.

Dr Afzal Javed said it is unfortunate that mental health has never been a priority in Pakistan. “It does not get a proper share in the budget. This compels the WPA to strive to focus on the mental health promotional aspects,” he said.

He reminded that England had appointed a minister to encourage more people to seek mental health support.

He said a study carried out in England revealed spending a pound sterling on the school mental health would save the country 14 pounds spent on the treatment of a mentally ill person at a later stage. “Our policy-makers must try to understand this strategy,” he stressed.