On World Mental Health Day 2019, celebrated every year on 10 October, the Government of Pakistan launched a Presidential initiative to improve mental health at national level. The initiative will focus on improving the mental health of mothers and young people.

Improving the mental health of mothers

Efforts to improve the mental health of mothers will be guided by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Thinking Healthy Programme, which aims to reduce perinatal depression in low socioeconomic settings and to improve health outcomes in their children through the adaptation and integration of Cognitive Behavior Therapy into the routine work of community health workers. The Programme, to be launched under the name “Bright tomorrow”, will be piloted in the rural areas of Islamabad Capital Territory, and will later on be scaled up for implementation across Pakistan.

Thinking healthy: a manual for psychological management of perinatal depression

Improving the mental health of young people

Efforts to improve the mental health of young people will be guided by the School Mental Health Package, which was developed by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. The Package targets those involved in the educational process such as teachers, administrators, nurses, social workers and counsellors, as well as legislative decision-makers on education and nongovernmental organizations. It aims to develop and enhance their skills, to recognize the signs and symptoms, provide better support for young people, become stronger advocates for mental health, and effect legislation that protects the rights of people living with mental health disorders. The School Mental Health Package consists of a manual and supporting tools including slides, handouts and guidance for implementation and evaluation. It will be piloted in Tehsil Gujar Khan in Rawalpindi, and will later on be scaled up for implementation across Pakistan.

The President’s initiative to improve mental health

The initiative was launched by the Government of Pakistan on World Mental Health Day, 10 October.

Dr Zafar Mirza, Minister for State on Health, launched the initiative at a roundtable, at the Institute of Psychiatry Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi, a WHO collaborating centre.

Participants included: mental health and public health experts, as well as other stakeholders from various sectors, including education, social welfare, academia, etc.