Islam the solution to mental illness: Lodhi

LAHORE Mental health in Pakistan is an important issue and needs to be attended to with help from civil society, Punjab Special Education Minister Qudsia Lodhi told a conference on ‘Islam and Mental Health’ organised by the International Conference of Pakistan Association of Clinical Psychologists (PACP) in Lahore on Saturday.

“Solution to our problems lies in the teachings of Islam. We can achieve success and peace by following universal principles of our religion,” Ms Lodhi said.

The minister said Islamic laws stressed human relationships and urged Muslims to treat parents with kindness and love. Parents, she added, had similar responsibilities towards their children. “Rights of the relatives, orphans and neighbours are defined clearly in Islam. There is guidance also on how to treat your teachers, strangers or travellers. In fact, it all adds up to a charter of human rights. Even animal rights have been spelled,” she said.

Ms Lodhi said that since the parameters were already drawn, it made the job of a clinical psychologist relatively easier. She said the conference should focus on Islamic teachings and take public mental health as a serious problem at the grassroots level in Pakistan. She said globalisation resulted in people around the world being flooded with new information as well as rapid social changes. “Contemporary realities can threaten cherished traditions and values and pose serious challenges to personal adjustment.”

PACP President Dr Nosheen K Rehman, in her welcome address, said, “We need to focus more on prevention programmes rather than treatment only, which would be more cost effective.” Staff Report

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