Mental Health Awareness Day marked at Government Queen Mary Graduate College Lahore

By Farzana Chaudhry | Lahore
Lahore: The Department of Psychology, Government Queen Mary Graduate College, Lahore, observed Mental Health Awareness Day 2026 under the theme “Heard Your Own Experiences: Real Voices, Real Change.”
Professor Ahsan Mukhtar, Director Colleges, Lahore Division, attended the ceremony as the chief guest, while Principal Professor Dr. Sidra Aamir presided over the event.
The programme included a panel discussion, a poster competition and an awareness walk. The panel discussion, titled “Beyond Numbers and MDCAT: Coping with Academic Pressure and Protecting Mental Health,” was chaired by renowned clinical psychologist Ms. Aqila Umarin of PIMH, with Professor Dr. Zeb Sadiq as co-chair. Dr. Shazia Aslam, Head of the Department of Psychology, moderated the session.
The panelists included Prof. Dr. Nadia Dar, Ms. Alina Naveed, Dr. Fawzia Hadi Ali, along with representatives of parents and students. The speakers stressed that examination marks are not the ultimate measure of a student’s ability and urged parents to encourage rather than compare or criticise their children.
The central message of the discussion was: “Academic achievements are important, but mental health is even more important.”
In the second session, students presented creative posters on mental health themes. The event concluded with an awareness walk aimed at reducing stigma surrounding mental health.
Addressing the ceremony, chief guest Professor Ahsan Mukhtar appreciated the college’s efforts and advised students not to treat failure as the end of their journey. Principal Dr. Sidra Aamir said mental health is an integral part of overall well-being and reaffirmed the college’s commitment to students’ holistic development.