First Lady Fazna Ahmed has stated adhering to the code of ethics is important for mental health practitioners.
She made the statement in her speech at the ceremony to inaugurate the Psychology Association of Villa College. The event was held as part of the activities held by Villa College to celebrate World Mental Health Day 2021.
Speaking at the event, First Lady Fazna stressed the importance of mental health practitioners adhering to the ethics of mental welfare and refraining from compromising professional standards. The first lady commended the efforts of Villa College in promoting mental health awareness and expressed her hope for Villa College to embrace mental wellbeing as a strategic priority and become the leading college in the efforts to promote mental wellbeing.
She outlined the need to establish a support system for mental health patients and cited studies that show that one in four persons suffer from mental health issues worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic is projected to have a lasting impact on communities worldwide, with international experts in the field predicting a spike in mental health issues to follow, she added.
The first lady also noted that local experts from the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) Mental Health Department have related this to the increasing number of patients being waitlisted for treatment each day. In this regard, she urged authorities to engage in a collaborative effort to provide better mental health services.
She emphasised that not everyone needs to be a psychologist to help, but rather they can lead with compassion and treat each other better.
First Lady Fazna was joined at the event by the Rector of Villa College Dr. Ahmed Anwar, Vice-Rector Ali Najeeb, senior officials, staff members and students.