Page 243 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

decrease might be attributable to increased access to and availability of mental

health carerelated medical facilities.
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh show a negative

coefficient which shows that mental disorders decrease with a 1% increase in

urbanisation. Pakistan has the highest negative coefficient of -7.4. It implies
that when urban population increases by 1%, mental disorders decrease by

7.4%. The lowest negative coefficient is shown in India which shows when
urbanisation increases by 1% mental disorders decrease by 0.18%. This might

be due to increased access to medical treatment for mental disorders and

improved awareness of the mental disorders from which people tend to
recover from such disorders. According to the trend line after a pivotal

moment, mental disorders have shown a significant increasein Pakistan,
Nepal, and Bangladesh. According to Khan et al. (2012) Pakistan's urban

issues stem from policies focusing on the dichotomy between rural and urban
areas, often neglecting the complex dynamics of rural-urban interactions and

interdependencies. Policymakers must understand the complex nexus of

urban-rural livelihoods, focusing on linkages across space and sectors.
Policies should also consider the influence of globalization on social,

economic, and ecological aspects of the urban-rural nexus, which has been

often ignored in Pakistan.

Considering the legislation and mental health laws in South Asian countries,
it lacks the emphasis on human rights and community-based approaches, and

implementation flaws, leaving mentally ill individuals vulnerable to abuse and
violation of rights. (Tripathi & Kumar, 2015). The region's policies focus on
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