Nearly one in three adults in Pakistan is currently living with a diagnosable mental and behavioural disorder, according to the country’s first nationally representative mental health survey. The groundbreaking research outlines a major public health challenge affecting millions of citizens across the nation.
Conducted over a five-year period from 2018 to 2022, the findings stem from the largest and most comprehensive mental health assessment ever undertaken in Pakistan. The study, representing researchers from the Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS), has been published in the British Medical Journal.
Extensive National Sample and Academic Collaboration
The extensive survey was led by Professor Raza-ur-Rahman from Hamdard University in Karachi. It was executed through a wide-ranging international and local collaboration involving the Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the United Kingdom, the University of South Florida in the United States, and multiple psychiatric institutions across Pakistan.
Nearly 18,000 adult respondents across all four provinces took part in the research. Independent health experts have described the findings of this first national assessment as the most reliable data compiled on the country’s psychological landscape to date, offering an unprecedented picture of national mental health.
High Prevalence of Trauma and Depression
Data gathered during the study revealed that 32 per cent of adults are currently experiencing mental and behavioural conditions. Furthermore, 38 per cent of respondents met the diagnostic criteria for having experienced a psychological disorder at some point during their lifetime.
Among specific conditions, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was exceptionally prevalent, with one in five surveyed adults meeting the criteria for the diagnosis. More than one in 10 adults were found to be living with depression. Additionally, six per cent of participants reported having experienced suicidal thoughts within the month prior to being interviewed.
Social Inequalities and Vulnerable Groups
Beyond baseline prevalence rates, the research team identified notable social inequalities linked to mental health status across the population. Among the demographic patterns observed, higher rates of psychiatric disorders were documented among older adults, underscoring how vulnerability intersects with social and biological factors across the country.
