The government's failure to devise a policy or framework for mental health practitioners is keeping the patients unprotected against malpractices in the field.
“Psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors have not been regulated, no proper licensing system is and check and balance are in place. Many people are portraying themselves as psychologists after doing diplomas of a few months,” said Punjab University Institute of Applied Psychology Director Prof Rafia Rafique while speaking to The Express Tribune.
“We are striving for support from the government for a mental health policy that is non-existent till date. We need a licensing body for those who want to practise as psychologists. The main problem is the absence of a mental health policy, which is promoting malpractices as many unqualified people have become mental health practitioners,” she said.
Dr Rafique said a comprehensive policy was being drafted with a focus on mental and physical wellbeing and ensuring reasonable access to mental health services regardless of income, education, creed or race.
A lawyer, Barrister Daraab Wali Furqan, said that owing to the absence of a comprehensive policy, neither the mental health practitioners were aware of their limitations and liabilities, nor the patients about a remedial mechanism.
Pakistan Medical Council has a code of conduct for doctors. If a doctor discloses confidential information of a patient, his licence is cancelled under the code, he said.
However, a patient of mental health does not know about the forum where he may complain, the lawyer said.
“As per the Supreme Court, both physical and mental health fall under right to life but the government has not regulated the forums related to mental health, which is tantamount to discrimination."
Lahore High Court recently sought replies from the federal and provincial governments on a plea seeking a policy to regulate the mental health practitioners.
Petitioner Muhammad Awais Khan filed the plea through Barrister Furqan, calling for appropriate measures from Punjab Mental Health Authority to prevent mental disorders and to arrange training to regulate the accreditation and certification of the practitioners.
He sought directives for measures to improve services, prescription of procedures for operating mental health facilities, a code of practice for the personnel and community-based services in this regard.
He implored the court to direct Punjab Healthcare Commission to regulate service providers managing mental health establishments.
The petitioner’s counsel said the state's failure to regulate mental health practitioners had allowed exploitation of the people.
"A sudden increase in demand for mental health services has laid bare the weaknesses in Pakistan’s mental health system.
The non-existence of a coherent standard of care for the provision of mental health services; lack of a code of ethics; and absence of any formal regulated accreditation and certification of mental health practitioners mean that their clients are left without any legal or professional ethical cover," the counsel stated.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2021.
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