By Farzana chaudhry Lahore Pakistan

LAHORE: Emotional support and dedicated family attention can play a significant role in the treatment of psychiatric patients, helping reduce the severity of symptoms and aggressive behaviour alongside conventional medication.

This was highlighted by Prof. Jodat Saleem, Principal of Ameer-ud-Din Medical College, while presiding over a special ceremony organized by the Department of Psychiatry at Lahore General Hospital (LGH) to mark World Mental Health Day. The event was held in line with the global theme announced by the World Federation for Mental Health.

Addressing the seminar, Prof. Jodat Saleem said mental health was as important as physical health and stressed the need to incorporate patients’ real-life experiences into healthcare policymaking. He said such an approach could help improve psychiatric care, restore patients’ confidence and support faster recovery.

MS LGH Prof. Dr. Faryad Hussain and Head of the Department of Psychiatry Prof. Dr. Faiza Athar urged people not to delay seeking professional medical assistance when early warning signs of mental health problems emerge.

They identified persistent sadness, restlessness, disturbed sleep, changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating, unexplained fatigue and persistent negative thoughts among the common warning signs associated with depression and anxiety.

The experts also highlighted modern approaches to mental healthcare beyond medication, including psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques, telepsychiatry, digital health solutions and community-based mental health programmes.

The event featured an awareness walk, distribution of educational material and recovery stories shared by former patients to spread hope and encourage others to seek treatment.

Prof. Mohsin Zaheer, Prof. Nazish Saqlain, Prof. Amna Ahsan Cheema, Dr. Saira Zeeshan, Dr. Syed Abdul Rafay, Dr. Abdul Aziz, Dr. Mahin Rizwan, Alia Sadaf, doctors, medical students, patients and their family members attended the ceremony in large numbers.

The ceremony concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony and a pledge to challenge social stigma surrounding mental illness and promote greater awareness, understanding and support for people experiencing mental health conditions.