Clinical and Neuropsychology in Pakistan: Challenges and Wayforward

Authors

  • Muhammad Rafiq University of Lahore, Pakistan
  • Gull Zareen University of Grenoble Alpes
  • Ansab Khalid Ivy College of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Faisal Mumtaz Chahal Department of Psychology, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Tahir Maqbool Department of Physiology (IMBB), University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
  • Fahim Hadi Department of Physiology (IMBB), University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31580/pjmls.v5i1.2442

Keywords:

Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation,  APA, Pakistan.

Abstract

Background: In the era of globalization and industrialization, socioeconomic challenges are increasing day by day. In developing countries including Pakistan, such challenges are of high magnitude which is not only responsible for the financial crisis but also linked with psychosocial and mental health issues. In Pakistan, the area of clinical including neuropsychology is being neglected which has resulted in lethal consequences on psychosocial and mental health. Purpose: The current study was aimed to explore challenges associated with clinical and neuropsychology practice in Pakistan and propose a strategic vision to enhance the scope of clinical psychology in Pakistan. Methods: For this, an in-depth literature review was conducted to explore the challenges and issues linked with the clinical psychology practice. The literature was searched using Google scholar, Pubmed, and Sciences Direct. Result and Conclusion: The article reviewed the past, current situation with futuristic aspects of clinical psychology practice in Pakistan concerning history, higher education content, legislation, training, and credential required for practice. The paper also reflects the status of psychology in Pakistan in comparison to other countries of the world. The stigma that is related to seeking help from clinical psychologists, awareness-related campaigns, and policies for the betterment of society is discussed. Future strategies for the developments and the areas that need to amend have also been recommended in the light of arguments and analysis presented in the paper.

 

References

American Psychological Association. Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American psychologist. 2002;57(12):1060-73.

Haque A. Development of Psychology in Pakistan. 2000.

Ansari ZA. Training and Research in Psychology in Pakistan. A country report prepared for UNESCO under contract NO, 381.070.6 (86/84). 1987;(86).

Ansari ZA. Devlopment of Psychology in Pakistan. In S. H. Hashmi (Ed). The state of social sciences in Pakistan. Islamabad: Quaid. Azam University. (Abbreviated vesion of Ansari 1987). conduct. American Psychologist. 1989; 57, 1060,1073.

Afridi MI. Mental health: priorities in Pakistan. JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. 2008 ;58(5):225.

Suhail K. psychology in Pakistan. Psychologist. 2004;17(11):632-4.

Kamrani F. The Myth of Clinical Psychology in Pakistan. 2005.

Murray B. Psychology takes a tenuous hold in Pakistan. Monitor on psychology. 2002;33(5):45-7.

Rehman A, Tareen I, Chaudhry M, Javed A. Forensic psychiatry in Pakistan. Current State of Psychiatry in Pakistan. 1994:47-52.

Malik S, Bokharey I. Breaking the chains. Psychiatric Bulletin. 2001; 25, 273– 275.

Government of Pakistan. Mental Health Ordinance. Government of Pakistan Printing Press. 2001.

Gilani AI, Gilani UI, Kasi PM, Khan MM. Psychiatric health laws in Pakistan: from lunacy to mental health. PLoS Medicine. 2005;2(11):e317.

Mufti K. Implementation of mental health policy in Pakistan. Journal of Postgraduate Medical Institute. 2010;24(3).

Pakistan Association for Mental Health. Workshop Report on Mental Health Ordinance. 2002.

Husain M. Blasphemy laws and mental illness in Pakistan. The Psychiatric Bulletin. 2014;38(1):40-4.

Government of Sindh. The Sindh Mental Health Ordinance 2013. Sindh Government Press. 2013.

Government of Punjab. The Punjab Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2014. Law and Parliamentary Affairs. 2014.

Tareen A, Mirza I, Mujtaba M, Chaudhry HR, Jenkins R. Primary care treatment for child and adolescent neuropsychiatric conditions in remote rural Punjab, Pakistan–a cross‐sectional survey. Child: care, health and development. 2008;34(6):801-5.

Tareen A, Tareen KI. Mental health law in Pakistan. BJPsych international. 2016;13(3):67-9

Mirza I, Tareen A, Davidson LL, Rahman A. Community management of intellectual disabilities in Pakistan: a mixed methods study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 2009;53(6):559-70.

Shackle S. Pakistan’s forgotten patients. 2008.

World Health Organization WHO. Mental Health System in Pakistan: A Report of the Assessment of the Mental Health System in Pakistan Using the World Health Organization Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems. 2009.

Ahmad M. Higher education commission of Pakistan. 2013.

Isaac R. Ethics in the practice of clinical psychology. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. 2009;6(2):69-74.

Zadeh ZF, Ghani H. The emerging status of organizational psychology in Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Social Science. 2012;3(4).

Downloads

Published

2022-03-31