Mental Health Where It Matters Most: World Mental Health Day 2025 Foundation University, Islamabad

PsychCare marked World Mental Health Day 2025 at Foundation University, where Dr. Semra Salik was invited as the keynote speaker for the event. Observed globally each year, World Mental Health Day serves as an important platform to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and advocate for equitable access to mental health care.

The theme for World Mental Health Day 2025, “Access to Services: Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies,” guided the discussions and reflections throughout the event. Dr. Semra’s keynote address highlighted the profound psychological impact of crises, disasters, and emergencies, emphasizing how disrupted access to mental health services disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including children, caregivers, and individuals with pre-existing mental health needs.

In her address, Dr. Semra underscored the urgent need for accessible, timely, and culturally responsive mental health services during humanitarian crises. She spoke about the importance of integrating psychosocial support into emergency response systems, strengthening community-based mental health care, and prioritizing early intervention to mitigate long-term psychological consequences of trauma and displacement.

For PsychCare, the event strongly resonated with its ongoing commitment to mental health advocacy, service accessibility, and community-focused care. The discussions reinforced the clinic’s belief that mental health is not a secondary concern in emergencies but a critical component of recovery, resilience, and overall wellbeing.

Participation in World Mental Health Day 2025 reflects PsychCare’s continued engagement in awareness-building, professional leadership, and advocacy aimed at strengthening mental health systems—particularly in contexts where access to care is most fragile and urgently needed.