Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) Social Lab under the banner of the JSMU Student Council organized an awareness seminar regarding the stigma around mental health and raise awareness about the causative agents of suicide and multiple ways to prevent it.
Vice Chancellor Professor Amjad Siraj Memon appreciated the initiatives taken by the JSMU Student Council collectively and said that JSMU is committed to bringing awareness and understanding of mental health issues and highlighting what individuals – especially young medical professionals – can do to prioritize their mental health to protect their overall well-being.
The guest speakers for the session were Associate Professor Psychiatry Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) Dr Jawed Akbar Dars, and Residents of Psychiatry Dept JPMC Dr Maham Irfan and Dr Abdul Qadir.
While addressing the major causes of suicide, Dr Abdul Qadir highlighted that Depression is now the fourth leading cause of suicide. He further stressed the effective psychological treatments and interventions that work well together to treat depression and anxiety disorders, including supportive psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and interpersonal psychotherapy.
‘Every 40 seconds, patients suffering from mental stress end their lives. Psychologists, Psychiatrists, and other medical professionals should also play an active role in counseling mentally stressed patients and show them a ray of hope in life’, added Dr Javed Akbar Dars.
Towards the end of the session, the Head of Community Medicine Department Dr Tafazzul Zaidi, and Assistant Registrar Dr Surraiya Sarwat presented the vote of thanks to the guest speakers and the audience.
The organizers of the seminar against suicide were President JSMU Student Council Muhammad Ahmad, Vice President Nadia Aslam, General Secretary Balaj Hussain, and Society Head Social Lab Muhammad.
