Improving Children’s Mental Health in Pakistan: Building Bridges Between Paediatrics & Psychiatry

Improving Children’s Mental Health in Pakistan: Building Bridges Between Paediatrics & Psychiatry

Authors

  • Nighat Jahan Nadeem Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, United Kingdom
  • Mohammad Shoaib Sulaiman Consultant Paediatrician, Halim Hospital, Karachi
  • Sophie Howatson Junior Doctor, St George’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21649/akemu.v31i1.6083

Keywords:

Children’s Mental Health, Building Bridges, Paediatrics, Psychiatry

Abstract

Child and adolescent mental health is a critical issue worldwide because of the increasing challenges of modern life. Young people are facing a multitude of stressors including academic pressures, social media influences, family conflicts and socio-economic disparities.1 Estimates suggest that the peak age of onset of any mental health disorder is 14.5 years and in 48.4% of people, mental health problems begin by the time they are 18 years old.2 Therefore, early detection and intervention is paramount to minimise potentially long-term adverse effects. Although this is a global concern, the situation is amplified in developing countries where there is a scarcity of trained mental health professionals and limited facilities dedicated to child mental health resulting in difficulties accessing services.3 The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 10-20% of children globally experience mental health difficulties, however only a fraction of this are able to receive adequate care.4

 

In recent decades there has been vast improvements in children’s healthcare in Pakistan, however mental health remains a neglected area despite it being a growing concern. Existing services are limited in both quantity and quality because of a lack of both human and infrastructural resources.5 Stigma and socio-cultural factors exacerbate challenges leaving many without the support they need.5 This often results in delayed help seeking, delayed diagnosis and delayed management. It has been suggested that mental health disorders in low and middle income countries like Pakistan often go undiagnosed.3 Despite the rapid escalation in need, it is highly unlikely that sufficient financial, human, and infrastructural resources will be made available in the near future.6 In addition, a lack of comprehensive data and validated research tools makes it difficult to understand the true nature of the difficulties that children in Pakistan are facing. Therefore, initiatives and interventions to overcome this are required to work towards meeting the needs of the children of Pakistan.7

The current situation regarding children’s psychological wellbeing in Pakistan needs much improvement and is of paramount importance. An initial attempt to begin to face some of these difficulties may be to involve and empower paediatricians. In this article we call for collaborative work between paediatricians and psychiatrists to break barriers and build bridges to overcome the considerable challenge ahead.

References

1. Javed A, Khan MN. Mental health in Pakistan: A call for action. Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(9):664-6.

2. Solmi M, Radua J, Olivola M. Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies. Mol Psychiatry. 2022;27(1):281-95. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7.

3. Kieling C, Baker-Henningham H, Belfer M, Conti G, Ertem I, Omigbodun O, Rahman A. Child and adolescent mental health worldwide: Evidence for action. Lancet. 2011;378(9801):1515-25.

4. World Health Organization. Improving the mental and brain health of children and adolescents. [Internet]. [Cited 2 March 2025]. Available from: https://www.who.int/activities/improving-the-mental-and-brain-health-of-children-and-adolescents

5. Imran N, Bodla ZH, Asif A, Shoukat R, Azeem MW. Pakistan's First Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit: Characteristics of admitted patients and response to treatment over a 7-year period. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(2):305-11. doi: 10.12669/pjms.37.2.2611.

6. Hamdani SU, Huma ZE, Tamizuddin-Nizami A. Debate: Child and adolescent mental health services in Pakistan; Do we need in-patient mental health facilities for children and young people? Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2021;26(2):182-3. doi: 10.1111/camh.12463.

7. Jamali, T. Child Mental Health Research in Pakistan; Major Challenges and Pitfalls: a Systematic Review. Pak J Public Health. 2016;6(3):18-23.

8. Hyder, M., Zafar, S., Mustafa, MS. Parental Intervention in Nurturing Resilient Society in Pakistan. Global Journal for Management and Administrative Sciences. 2022;3(1):97-111

9. Support Parents Organization. Pakistan final report. 2024.[Internet].[Cited 10 March 2025]. Available from: https://support-parents.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Pakistan_Final.pdf

10. Naeem Z., Naeem M., Zehra A., Muhammad T., Sarfraz M. Parenting Practices, Stressors and Parental Concerns During COVID-19 in Pakistan. Child Abuse Negl. 2022;130(1):105393

11. Syed, E., Hussein, S., Mahmud, S. Screening For Emotional and Behavioural Problems Amongst 5-11 Year-Old School Children in Karachi, Pakistan. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2007(42):421-7.

12. Khan, F., Shehzad, R.K., Chaudhry, H. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Servivces in Pakistan: Current Situation, Future Directions and Possible Solutions. Int Psychiatry. 2008;5(4):86-8

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Published

03/31/2025

How to Cite

Nighat Jahan Nadeem, Sulaiman, M. S., & Sophie Howatson. (2025). Improving Children’s Mental Health in Pakistan: Building Bridges Between Paediatrics & Psychiatry. Annals of King Edward Medical University, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.21649/akemu.v31i1.6083

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Section

Guest Editorials

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