Careif trustee highlights mental health impact of displacement

Careif trustee Professor Afzal Javed — a leading mental health expert and former head of the World Psychiatric Association — has been speaking about the psychological toll of displacement, highlighting it as an underappreciated but growing global challenge.

Professor Afzal Javed

Speaking at an online session organised by the Horizon organisation in Peshawar, Professor Javed drew attention to the particular complexity facing Pakistan, which is dealing simultaneously with external refugee populations and large-scale internal displacement caused by both conflict and climate-related disasters such as flooding.

He called for greater visibility of internally displaced persons, noting that while much international attention focuses on cross-border refugees, those displaced within their own countries are often overlooked despite facing equally serious mental health challenges. He also urged mental health professionals to engage in structured training and to put forward recommendations to the government that are focused on prevention and early intervention.

Read the full story at The News Pakistan.

This webinar covered the particular complexity facing Pakistan and is in line with Careif’s efforts to highlight this topic with its psychosocial impacts, especially in developing countries.