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Forensic psychiatry in Pakistan: Where next following the Supreme Court judgement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

T. Hassan
T. Hassan*
Affiliation:
Providence Care Hospital, Psychiatry, Kingston, Canada

Abstract

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Introduction

No statutory mental health services exist for justice-involved individuals in Pakistan. The lack of expertise in forensic psychiatry serves to deny individuals with mental illness the critical support needed for mental healthcare and adequate court dispositions with serious unintended consequences including capital punishment for those who could otherwise be deemed treatment and not punishment worthy. A landmark judgement by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in February 2021 criticized the lack of forensic psychiatry expertise in Pakistan and directing the development of forensic mental health services and forensic psychiatry training in Pakistan.

Objectives

The key objectives are: 1. Understanding the timeline of how justice invloved individuals are manged by psychiatric services 2. The importance of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Judgement in affecting change 3. Highlights on how Queen’s University will enhance forensic psychiatry in Pakistan

Methods

A literature review and personal networking facilitated the collection of important data in how justice invloved individuals are supported in Pakistan. The author has published and presented to Pakistani psychiatrists and the Pakistani judiciary on this topic. Queen’s University is aiming to implement a 3-year plan to develop an online curriculum and certificate course to help train the trainers.

Results

In the Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, prevalence rates for psychotic illnesses (3.7%), major depression (10%), and personality disorders (65%) among men with higher rates for psychotic disorders (4.0%) and major depression (12%) among women.

Conclusions

In conclusion there is a dire need to develop forensic psychiatry in Pakistan and other low/middle income countries.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

forensicpakistanpsychiatryjustice
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S600
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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