Youth Mental Health in Pakistan: The Hidden Struggles
It's 1:40 a.m. Hamza, 20, has an exam in seven hours, but he's scrolling: a friend's new car, a cousin's engagement, a reel about getting rich by 22. In the morning he tells his mother, "Nothing, Ammi. Just studying."
Our young people aren't lazy or "too sensitive". They're growing up in a louder, faster, more uncertain world. Here's what's weighing on their mental health, and how we can help.
1. Exam Stress and the Weight of "Log Kya Kahenge"
Life can feel like one long entrance test, where one bad result ruins everything. Parents push out of love, but when love only shows up around marks, it sounds like "you're not enough." Add log kya kahenge? and many young people end up on paths they never chose, with anxiety and burnout close behind.
2. Scrolling Into Anxiety: Social Media and Mental Health
Social media lets them compare their worst days to everyone else's highlight reel. And the phone never switches off, so sleep, focus and mood quietly suffer, a common road to anxiety and low mood.
3. Stuck at the Starting Line: Stress About the Future
They studied hard as promised, yet CVs go unanswered and prices keep rising. Many friend groups mostly talk about who's leaving the country next. What looks like "I don't care" is often someone who cares a lot and feels stuck. Left unaddressed, this chronic stress can slide into depression.
4. Two Worlds, One Exhausted Mind
Home says one thing about careers, relationships and a good life; university and the internet say another. Many feel they fully belong to neither, and being two people at once is exhausting.
5. Surrounded by People, Still Lonely
Hundreds of followers and a full dinner table don't mean feeling understood. Unspoken feelings come out as irritability, withdrawal, or a sadness everyone mistakes for "attitude". Loneliness is one of the quietest risk factors for depression in young adults.
6. "Just Stop Overthinking": Breaking the Mental Health Stigma
Faith and family can be real strengths, but anxiety and depression are health conditions, not a sign of weak character. Stigma keeps many suffering in silence, yet the earlier someone gets professional help, such as therapy or counselling, the easier recovery tends to be.
How to Support Young People's Mental Health
For young people
● Your worth is not your marksheet. Results are one part of your story, not all of it.
● Protect your mind. Mute accounts that make you feel worse, and keep your phone out of bed at night.
● Talk to someone. One safe person is enough. Seeing a psychologist doesn't mean you're weak; it means you're taking yourself seriously.
For parents
● Ask "How are you, really?", not just "What did you get?"
● Listen before you fix, and drop the comparisons.
● Take changes seriously. Withdrawal, sleep changes or hopelessness are signs to reach out, not to scold.
One Conversation Can Change Everything
Imagine his mother sitting beside him and asking, "You seem low lately. Want to talk?" He might shrug it off, but the door is now open.
If you or a young person you love has been struggling for a while, don't wait for it to pass on its own. Speaking to a qualified psychologist or mental health professional can be the start of a better story.
Ms. Aamna Imran, Consultant Clinical Psychologist