Beliefs and Attitudes towards Mental Illness in Pakistan in an Era of Increasing Awareness: Perspectives from Pakistani Adults (Published)
There has been an increase in the awareness of mental disorders around the world, including in Pakistan, and thus the attitudes and belief system of mental illness and its treatment have been changing. This research studies educated adults’ perception of mental disease and its treatment in the urban areas of Pakistan in the light of increasing publicity. Using a qualitative method, a sample size of 12 participants was recruited through snowball sampling and interviewed using semi-structured questions. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Five major themes were identified from the data, including: general knowledge of mental health, perceived barriers to seeking treatment, attitudes towards people with mental illness, facilitating factors for seeking treatment and perceived changes in attitudes towards mental health. Participants had a high acceptance of the biopsychosocial account of mental illness. However, religious interpretations, negative parental attitudes, fear of stigma, and high costs of treatment were found to be essential factors that discourage people from accessing professional services. All participants attested that there has been increased awareness about mental health in Pakistan, mainly because of social media, but also agreed that there needs to be more education for the public in general and more easily accessible mental health services. The results speak of the increasing awareness of educated urban Pakistanis toward mental health issues and their increasing awareness of therapy-seeking from mental health professionals as the most qualified medical specialists in this regard.
Keywords: Attitudes, Pakistan, Qualitative research, mental health awareness, stigma, treatment-seeking