Mental Health Care in Pakistan

Pakistan faces multiple challenges in the health sector, including the status of mental health care. This issue is further compounded by socio-cultural, religious, economic factors, and a weak inadequate mental health care infrastructure [1]. The health budget allocated for Pakistan in 2023 is PKR 24.25 billion, constituting 2.8% of the total development budget and a mere 0.05% of the GDP. Of this, the allocation for mental health care is a mere 0.4%. Moreover, despite a population exceeding 220 million, the country has fewer than 500 qualified psychiatrists [2]. The mental health of our populace has further deteriorated due to longstanding political disputes, violence, terrorism, epidemics, droughts, earthquakes, economic challenges, and unemployment issues [3].