Mental health is still one of the fringe issues in Pakistan, especially with regards to young people. It is too often seen as a type of deficiency or punishment instead of what it really is — an underlying health issue. Talking about mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, trauma, or substance use can easily invite considerable shame. Even today, people struggling with these issues are treated as social outcasts. And that, to me, is a societal failure.

I am dedicated to breaking the silence and placing mental health at the center of conversations in Pakistan and across the Global South. My mother’s struggles with depression have made this cause especially close to my heart. Therefore, being selected as a Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism, as part of the SNF Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute’s Global Fellowships Program, is more than a professional achievement — it carries deep personal meaning. As a media practitioner, I’ve spent long hours in the newsroom, covering politics, conflict, climate change, and a wide range of other issues. One thing has always stood out — we fail to include mental health more prominently in our reporting. Even when trauma is etched on people’s faces, we rarely pause to think about it, let alone report on it.