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ALEEZA KHAN
THE LYCEUM
SOCIOLOGY
RESEARCH SKILLS
How is mental illness viewed in our society and why is it considered as a taboo topic?
Why are there misconceptions about the people suffering from mental disorders?
Mental illness is a field which affects approximately 16 percent of Pakistan’s population, (Arif
Mahmood, 2014) However, it’s also the most neglected health field. Is the government taking
necessary steps in providing proper medical, educational and other important facilities for people
Rationale
mental illness. The members of society heavily discriminate towards such people and mental
disorders such as Depression, Schizophrenia and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are brushed off
as an ordinary disease or ignored. According to the WHO, only 400 psychiatrists and 5
psychiatric hospitals exist within the entire country for a population exceeding 180 million. This
Mahmood, 2004). This results in patients who have gathered the courage and the support of their
family to look for medical help but later get to know there isn’t much help to offer them. Society
becomes ignorant and does not take the steps according to this matter making an individual’s
condition worsen. Mental health patients are stigmatized as social outcasts and their treatment is
Also certain eating disorders which do not pose a threat to social norms are often dismissed as an
actual issue. People along with the media and the fashion industry indirectly promote anorexia
The literature review will briefly set the context for the issue of the stigma surrounding
mental illness in Pakistan. Kishore, Gupta, Jiloha & Bantman (2011) explain that mental and
behavioral disorders are present worldwide in any year in about 10% of the adult population.
The burden of mental disorders is maximal in young adults which are considered as the most
productive section of the population. Neuropsychiatry conditions together account for 10.96% of
the global burden of disease as measured by disability-adjusted life years. In most countries,
families are forced to bear a significant proportion of these economic costs because of the
absence of public funded comprehensive mental health service networks which the government
fails to provide by not paying importance to such necessary facilities. Families also incur social
costs, such as the emotional burden of looking after disabled family members, diminished quality
of life for careers, social exclusion, stigmatization, and loss of future opportunities for self-
improvement. This burden emphasizes the need of scientific studies in various aspects of mental
disorders. Kishore et al (2011) provide insight on the common misconceptions and attitudes
embedded in them. Access to adequate mental health care always falls short of both implicit and
explicit needs. This can be explained in part by the fact that mental illness is still not well
understood and considered a taboo. The mentally ill, their families and relatives, as well as
professionals providing specialized care, are still the object of marked stigmatization as these
attitudes are deeply rooted in society and cannot be changed or altered easily.
Amy Morin (2015) talks about the misconceptions society has about mental illness. Considering
mental illness as a sign of weakness is one of them. Individuals who associate people with
depression, anxiety or any other mental disorders to be mentally weak are those who also claim
that somehow mental strength stigmatizes mental illness. Mental health and mental strength are
not the same. Morin (2015) gives the example of a person with diabetes being physically strong
and a person with depression being mentally strong; your mental health issue does not define or
affect your mental strength. Another stereotype created by the media is violence being linked to
mental illness. Whenever mental illness is mentioned by the media its often in regard to a mass
shooting or any other violent act. “The American Psychological Association reports that only
Many mental health problems are not curable but they still can be treated to an extent where it
becomes easier for the individual to experience relief in their life. “The National Alliance on
Mental Illness reports that between 70 and 90% of individuals experience symptom relief with a
According to Rayan & Fawaz (2017) Mental illnesses are widespread in Lebanon, with
conflictions, and political insecurity in the Middle East Region have augmented the emergence
of some mental health problems. With respect to research conducted by the American University
of Beirut, rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression have reached 30% in
some areas of southern Lebanon. Prevalence rates of PTSD ranged from 8.5 to 14.7% for the
civil war, 21.6% for the Grapes of Wrath War, and 15.4 to 35.0% for the 2006 July War.13
Furthermore, it is estimated that 152 people in Lebanon die annually due to suicide.
Rüsch, Angermeyer & Corrigan (2005) divide the struggles of a person dealing with mental
illness into two. The first struggle being to cope with the symptoms of the mental disorder make
it difficult for a person to work or live independently. The second struggle was defined as “the
in an attempt to improve the lives of people suffering from mental illness. As a particularly
successful example in the US, the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill, a group of family
members and persons with mental illness, has been educating the public in order to diminish
stigmatizing conditions; e.g. by pressing for better legal protection for people with mental illness
in the areas of housing and work. Germany has also set up various anti-stigma campaigns such as
BASTA (Bavarian Anti-Stigma Action) and the Irrsinnig Menschlich (Madly Human). So
according to this review stigma’s main components consist of stereotypes, prejudice and
discrimination and its consequences consist of fear being produced which acts as a barrier to use
health services.
For a population of 180 million, there are only five psychiatric hospitals in the country.
However, several big private hospitals, including Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), have a
psychiatric ward for mental health patients. The hospital also has a short-term adult psychiatric
unit which includes 18 beds. Researchers say that the quicker a person seeks help the more
WHO (world health organization) AIMS report on Mental Health In Pakistan states that a
“national human rights review body exists which has the authority to oversee regular inspections
in mental health facilities, review involuntary admission and discharge procedures; review
complaints investigation processes; and the review body has the authority to impose sanctions.”
Out of the 3729 outpatient mental health facilities available in Pakistan, 1 percent is only for
children and adolescents. These facilities treat 343.34 users per 100,000 general populations out
of which 69% are female and 46% are children or adolescents. However there are 624 inpatient
psychiatric units available which contain 1926 beds per 100,000 populations. 75% of the patients
are female and 18% are child or adolescents. By 2009 there were 5 mental health hospitals with
the ratio or 1.9 beds to 100,000 populations and the number of beds has increased 4% in the 5
This section will state the procedure that will be used to conduct research on Mental
Illness, how society’s approach to it affects the people who suffer from such conditions and how
this stigma be reduced in Pakistan. My research would mostly consist of primary data since I
believe I would gain more information specific to my topic through this method. The data
collected in this research would mostly consist of qualitative data which would be accumulated
For quantitative data I will use age, gender and other factors to distinguish the information
gained form the focus groups. I will conduct these focus groups in the Lyceum campus and the
community in which I reside in. The general characteristics of the focus group are people's
interests, the generation of qualitative data, and discussion focused on a topic, which is
determined by the purpose of the research (Freitas, Oliveria, Jenkins, Popjoy 1998). In the focus
group my aim would be to interact openly with the people and give them a verbal description of
what the purpose this focus group is. The groups would either be held separately for men and
women or combined with a maximum of 10-12 people attending each session, since a larger
number would be more difficult to handle. The reason for segregating some sessions of the focus
group is so that both genders could openly answer and express their opinions on the questions
asked.
I also plan on visiting the small amount of schools which cater to the needs of children with
mental illness such as the Pakistan Navy Special Children School in Karsaz. The purpose of my
visits would be to get a little more insight on how these children receive their education and what
is the current condition of these schools. My plan is to gather more knowledge of the way mental
illness is viewed and treated in our country and to discover methods which would help reduce the
Kishore, Gupta, Jiloha and Bantman (2011) Myths, beliefs and perceptions about mental
Rayan PhD1, Fawaz PhD2 (2017) Cultural misconceptions and public stigma against mental
Rüsch, Angermeyer, Corrigan (2005) Mental illness stigma: Concepts, consequences, and
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/03/15/the-stigmatisation-of-mental-illnesses/
https://www.dawn.com/news/1133196
The 5 Most Common Misconceptions About Mental Illness (2015). Retrieved from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201511/the-5-
most-common-misconceptions-about-mental