Seminar on Impacts of Psycho-Social Disorders on Society

n WHO’s words, mental health is a state of sound mind in which people know their capabilities and ability to handle stress daily, work effectively, relate to others, and be involved in the community. As healthcare providers, we must deliver and sustain optimum patient holistic well-being. A group of 15 undergraduate medical students from various classes of Shifa College of Medicine, under the lead of Dr Tatheer, Associate Professor Anatomy, had the honour of attending a one-day awareness seminar on “impacts of psycho-social disorders in society” on 23^rd February 2023 at National Institute of Special Education, Islamabad. The honourable speakers Dr Sobia from Quaid-e-Azam University, gave three extensive interactive talks, Dr Nausheen from Shifa International Hospital and Dr Sajida from Fatima Jinnah women’s university. The light was shed on the importance of awareness about psycho-social disorders and their management.

The lectures began by distinguishing the core differences between psychological and psycho-social disorders, and later a comprehensive talk was delivered categorising their examples. A broad spectrum of conditions like depression, anxiety, autism, speech delay, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders were discussed in detail. The impact of parenting, trauma, inability to face failures, family issues, low socio-economic state and gender roles was highlighted as the leading cause. The effect of such disorders in an individual’s life was categorised into fields like –Social, consisting of lifestyle, personality, family, friend groups, and workplaces:- Biological, composed of physical health and –Psychological, consisting of coping skills, social skills and self-esteem. The audience was briefed about the struggles faced by the community that experiences mental health challenges. Social rejection, discrimination, lack of family support, maltreatment, neglect and abuse were listed as a few reasons that hinder the progress of an individual with a disorder.

Much of the seminar was dedicated to discussing the stigma around mental health and its impact on the community. The rise in psycho-social disorders amongst children was brought to special notice due to their inability to process their emotions and their lack of parental attention. Early counselling of parents was seen as an effective way to reduce the number of cases among children. It was concluded that an increased awareness among parents, schools, workplaces and the general public is the most efficient way to combat it.

The third and final lecture was dedicated to the constructive management of such disorders. At the individual level building resilience in patients to fight the disease was listed at the top. It was followed by mindfulness-based interventions, and activities like meditation and journaling were suggested. For individuals with severe disabilities, skill intervention was recommended to prevent them from isolation and help them be self-sufficient. Health surveys, psychoeducation, and conducting such seminars were hoped to pave the way for a better future for such a community.

The seminar concluded with a lesson on prioritising psycho-social risk factors when professionally dealing with patients. Shifa College of Medicine students were grateful to participate in such an enlightening seminar.