Islamabad (S Awan) The number of people suffering from mental illness in Pakistan has exceeded 32.4 million, while there is a severe shortage of psychologists for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses across the country. The Ministry of Health has submitted the details regarding the availability of mental health specialists and psychologists to the National Assembly.

According to the data presented by the Ministry of Health, in 2019, the number of people suffering from mental illness in Pakistan was 30 million, which increased to 32.4 million in 2023. Thus, an increase of 24 lakhs was recorded in the number of people suffering from mental disorders during four years.

According to the documents, the number of citizens suffering from mental illness in the federal capital Islamabad has exceeded three lakh.

In the details presented in the National Assembly, the availability of psychologists in Pakistan has also been described as alarming. There is a severe shortage of psychologists in the country in proportion to the population and according to the data provided, only one psychologist is available for every two lakh 45 thousand citizens.

According to the provincial details, 406 psychologists are registered in Punjab, 228 in Sindh, 122 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 44 in Balochistan.

According to statistics, the limited availability of psychologists has become a major challenge in the provision of mental health services in the face of increasing cases of mental disorders in the country.