How common are mental health conditions in Pakistan?

The National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of Pakistan (2022) found a lifetime prevalence of 37.91% for any psychiatric disorder. Current (past-12-month) prevalence is 32.28%. Mood disorders account for 19.62% and stress-related neurotic disorders for 24.81%.

How many therapists and psychiatrists does Pakistan have?

Roughly 500 psychiatrists and around 100 clinical psychologists for a population of 200 million-plus. That is about 0.19 psychiatrists per 100,000 people — one of the lowest ratios in South Asia.

Are women or men more affected?

Women carry a disproportionate share of the burden. Multiple studies cite domestic and intimate-partner abuse (verbal, mental, and physical) as a major contributor — a UN study found 90% of Pakistani women surveyed had experienced mental or verbal abuse from spouses, and 50% endured physical abuse. The GBD study also shows higher DALY rates for women across most mood and anxiety conditions.

Mental health in Pakistan, by the numbers

Q: How many people in Pakistan need mental health services?

An estimated 24 million Pakistanis currently need mental health services. Around 90% of them never receive treatment — due to stigma, cost, and a severe workforce shortage.

Pakistan's mental-health conversation is often framed in vague terms — “it's taboo”, “there aren't enough services”. The numbers are worth looking at directly, because they're both more specific and more actionable than the generalities suggest.

This piece is a small, source-cited tour of the data from the most recent peer-reviewed literature and WHO figures. No commentary beyond what the numbers say.

How many Pakistanis are affected

The most reliable single source is the National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of Pakistan (NPMSP, 2022). Its weighted findings:

37.91% lifetime prevalence of any psychiatric disorder among adults.
32.28% current (past-12-month) prevalence.
Mood disorders: 19.62%.
Neurotic and stress-related disorders: 24.81%.
Psychotic disorders: 4.52%.
Mental and behavioural issues from substance use: 0.85%.

For depression and anxiety specifically, other population studies report current prevalence in the range of 10–16% of adults — making them the two most common conditions any Pakistani therapist is likely to see.

The burden, measured honestly

The Global Burden of Disease analysis for Pakistan (1990–2019) looked at disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) — a measure that combines premature death with years lived with reduced health:

Depression is the single largest contributor to mental-health-related DALYs in Pakistan, followed by anxiety disorders.
Pakistan's suicide mortality rate is 9.7 per 100,000, with under-reporting widely acknowledged (suicide was criminalised until 2022 and remains socially stigmatised).
Women carry a disproportionate share of the anxiety and mood-disorder burden — the gap has widened, not narrowed, over three decades of data.

The workforce shortfall

The supply side is the clearest structural problem:

~500 psychiatrists for a population of 200 million-plus.
~100 clinical psychologists.
0.19 psychiatrists per 100,000 people — among the lowest ratios in South Asia (for reference, India has ~0.75, Sri Lanka ~0.45, and the WHO-recommended minimum is 1.0).
11 psychiatric hospitals country-wide.
Mental-health services are concentrated in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad — rural access is effectively close to zero in many districts.

The funding picture

According to the WHO-AIMS evaluation of Pakistan's mental healthcare system:

Mental health receives approximately 0.4% of the national health budget.
There is no dedicated national mental-health insurance programme; most people pay out-of-pocket.
NGO-run telepsychiatry and mobile-app services have expanded materially since 2020 and now meaningfully contribute to urban access — but cannot, at present, close the gap.

The gap, in one number

Roughly 24 million Pakistanis need mental-health services. Around 90% of them never receive treatment. That is the simplest statement of where things stand.

Closing that gap is not one thing — it involves funding, policy, workforce pipelines, reducing stigma, and expanding remote access. But the current trend line is upward. Online therapy platforms, peer-led communities, and integrated primary-care models are each doing incremental work. It's worth saying out loud.

Where to find help

If you or someone close to you is looking for mental-health support, Safe Healing matches adults in Pakistan with licensed therapists through a 5-minute intake — no card required. Start the intake.

If you're in a mental-health emergency, please contact Umang Pakistan at 0311-7786264 or your nearest emergency room.