Need Assessment and Availability of Psychiatric Services in Sialkot City: Clients’ Perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62843/jrsr/2025.4a092Keywords:
Psychiatric Services, Clients’ Perceptions, Mental Health, Sialkot, PakistanAbstract
Mental health is an integral part of public health, yet psychiatric facilities face inadequate utilization and are often inconvenient. It is very important to understand the perceptions of clients in order to improve mental health care provision and identify deficiency in health care network in Sialkot. This qualitative study was undertaken in order to analyze the recognized need for psychiatric facilities and assess the quality and accessibility of present facilities in Sialkot City from the clients’ insights. The study was carried out in Sialkot City, using qualitative descriptive design. Purposive sampling strategy was employed to choose 20 participants who had exposure of psychiatric Services. Data were collected by means of semi-structured in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used for identifying patterns and themes within the qualitative data. Preliminary research discoveries recommend that culture-based perceptions and social stigma substantially affect the use of psychiatric services. Participants revealed a lack of understanding regarding existing services and showed fear regarding confidentiality. Hurdles to approaching to health care network contained deficiency of competent health care providers, therapeutic expenses, and insufficient transportation facilities are highlighted. Recommendations for bringing improvement comprised of integration of mental health facilities into primary health care network, training programs for mental health professionals, and community-based awareness campaigns.
References
Ameen, K., & Lloyd, J. (2005). Strategies to overcome information poverty in Pakistan. International Information & Library Review, 37(3), 137-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iilr.2005.07.001
Andrew, S., Forrester, J., & McFarlane, J. (2018). Mental illness and the provision of mental health services in prisons. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 64(7), 647–654.
Bee, P., Lovell, K., Airnes, Z., & Pruszynska, A. (2019). Embedding telephone therapy in statutory mental health services: A qualitative, theory-driven analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 16, 56.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Clement, S., Schauman, O., Graham, T., Maggioni, F., Evans-Lacko, S., Bezborodovs, N., ... & Thornicroft, G. (2015). What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. Psychological Medicine, 45(1), 11–27.
Dayani, K., Zia, M., Qureshi, O., Baig, M., & Sabri, T. (2024). Evaluating Pakistan’s mental healthcare system using World Health Organization’s assessment instrument for mental health system (WHO-AIMS). International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 18(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-024-00646-6
Fayyaz, A., Qamar, A., & Zia, N. (2021). Barriers to Mental Health Care in Pakistan: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Pakistan Psychiatric Society, 21(3), 112-118.
Gadit, A. A. M., & Khalid, N. (2002). State of mental health in Pakistan: service, education and research. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 52(5), 216–219.
Husain, N., Creed, F., & Tomenson, B. (2000). Depression and social stress in Pakistan. Psychological medicine, 30(2), 395-402. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291700001707
Jabeen, R., Iqbal, M., & Noor, A. (2021). Mental Health Care in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities for Urban and Rural Areas. Pakistan Journal of Public Health, 11(2), 56–63.
Johnson, R. M., & Ekmund, L. E. (2003). The Journal of Marketing Research: Its initiation, growth, and knowledge dissemination. Journal of Marketing Research, 40(1), 1–19.
Joom, R.,Minhas,F.A., Saxena,s., & Saracens,B. A review of mental health policies in Pakistan. Lancet Psychiatry, 378 (9801), 523-531.
Karim, S., Saeed, K., Rana, M. H., & Mubbashar, M. H. (2004). Starting mental health reforms in a developing country: The National Program of Pakistan. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 10(1), 1–5.
Kausar, N. Maqsood, S., & Ikram, A Profile of Psychiatric Patients Visiting Outdoor of Psychiatric Department at Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital, Gujrat. Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 4(III). 337-350. http://doi.org/10.35484/pssr.2020(4-III)26
Kausar, N., Akram, B., & Khan, S. D. (2015). Major depression in Jalal Pur Jattan, district Gujrat, Pakistan: Prevalence and gender differences. JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 65(3), 292–295.
Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2003). The epidemiology of major depressive disorder: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). JAMA, 289(23), 3095–3105.
Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 617–627.
Khan, A., Rizvi, A. A., & Siddiqui, H. A. (2013). Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Gaps and Future Directions. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 29(3), 907–912.
Khan, M. M., Ahmed, A., & Mubbashar, M. H. (2020). Economic stress and mental health in Pakistan: Current situation and policy recommendations. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 14(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-020-00366-7.
Lawn, S., Dawson, S., & Simpson, A. (2016). Care planning for consumers on community treatment orders: An integrative literature review. BMC Psychiatry, 16, 394.
Lo, J.C.Y., Walters, E.L., Bengiamin, D.I., et al. (2020). A survey study of the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physician parents. International Journal of Emergency Medicine, 14, 47.
Mirza, I., & Jenkins, R. (2004). Risk factors, prevalence, and treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders in Pakistan: Systematic review. BMJ, 328(7443), 794. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.328.7443.794
Mojtabai, R., Cullen, B., Everett, A., Nugent, K. L., Sawa, A., Sharifi, V., Takayanagi, Y., Toroney, J. S., & Eaton, W. W. (2014). Reasons for not seeking general medical care among individuals with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 65(6), 741–748.
Mubbashar, M. H. (2000). Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Status, Strategies, and Suggestions. Mental Health Services in Pakistan: Status, Strategies, and Suggestions. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2(3), 153–157.
Musser, E. D., Backs, R. W., Schmitt, C. F., Ablow, J. C., Measelle, J. R., & Nigg, J. T. (2011). Emotion regulation via the autonomic nervous system in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39(6), 841–852.
Naeem, F., Ayub, M., Gobbi, M., & Kingdon, D. (2009). Views of depressed patients in Pakistan concerning their illness, its causes, and treatments. Qualitative Health Research, 19(9), 1259–1269. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732309341651
Nawaz, H., Imran, A., & Fatima, H. (2020). Urbanization and Its Effects on Mental Health: A Case Study of Sialkot. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 9(12), 456-463.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). (2017). District Wise Census Results Census-2017. http://www.pbs.gov.pk.
Patel, V., et al. (2018). Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A New Agenda. Lancet Psychiatry, 5(7), 542-544.
Patel, V., Saxena, S., Lund, C., Thornicroft, G., Baingana, F., Bolton, P., ... & Unützer, J. (2018). The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. The Lancet, 392(10157), 1553–1598. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31612-X
Punjab Development Statistics. (2021). Bureau of Statistics, Government of Punjab.
Rathod, S., et al. (2017). Attitudes towards Mental Health Services and Barriers to Treatment among South Asian Communities in the UK. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 63(2), 108-115.
Riaz, S., Khan, A. M., & Bano, Z. (2019). Depression and its associated factors among people living in urban slums of Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 35(6), 1557–1562. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.6.663.
Saeed, K., Gater, R., Hussain, A., & Mubbashar, M. H. (2021). The mental health system in Pakistan: Challenges and opportunities. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(10), 846–848.
Shah, S. M., Lakhani, K. P., & Khan, N. H. (2020). The impact of urbanization on mental health: A study from Punjab, Pakistan. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 53, 102179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102179.
Stevens, A., & Gillam, S. (1998). Needs assessment: From theory to practice. BMJ, 316(7142), 1448–1452.
Stevens, A., & Hall, B. (2017). Psychiatric services: Innovations and challenges in mental health care delivery. Journal of Psychiatric Services, 68(4), 345–356.
Thornicroft, G. (2006). Shunned: Discrimination against People with Mental Illness. Oxford University Press.
Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19(6), 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzm042
Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Depression. World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. (2018). Integration of mental health into primary healthcare: perceptions of stakeholders in Pakistan. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 24(2), 146–153.
World Health Organization. (2020). Mental Health Atlas 2020. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization. (2021). Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization. (2022). World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
