FJWU standing with the Pakistani Nation in the Wake of Pandemic
RAWALPINDI: From the platform of Fatima Jinnah Women University, Pakistan, Dr. Aneela Maqsood (Head of Behavioral Sciences Department) initiated and led a volunteer campaign in alliance with a team of volunteer national and international health professionals. FJWU extended to build alliance with Psychology department of University of Sargodha, Pakistan (Dr. Najma Malik- Chairperson Psy. Dept.), Chief Psychologist (Dr. Shoaib Kiani), University of Sheffield, UK (Dr. Parveen Ali, Lead of Nursing Studies Program), University of Houston Clear Lake, Houston, Texas USA (Dr. Samian Masood), Gazail Mental Health Services Ltd, Surrey, UK (Director & Prof. Dr. Ghazala Rehman), Kids Hearts Hospital, UAE (Head of Psychology Dept., Prof. Dr. Tahir Saeed), Manchester Global Foundation (Prof. Dr. Nusrat Hussain) and members from UK-Pakistan Science Innovation Global Network (UPSIGN), Pakistan Medical Association (Prof. Dr. Tahir Saeed), members from British Psychological Society & British Clinical Society, and Mental Health First Aid England.
The team members are committed to offer volunteer services to deal with massive need of psychological services to support community. The alliance group is committed to provide psychoeducation, psychological help & counseling using Digital Solutions. The alliance team provides a listening ear to the community and frontline health care professionals. Experts are using digital platform to offer psychological services to Pakistani community, to address psychological and medical symptoms associated with the pandemic .Keeping in view the Biopsychosocial Impact of COVID 19, services are provided to individuals and their families having a direct or indirect impact of Pandemic. Based on Biopsychosocial model, team is aiming to provide psychoeducation and coping strategies to deal with mass impact of pandemic upon physical, psychological, & social wellbeing.in addition to that offer psychological assistance is offer to families to cope with incidence of abuse (verbal and physical), interpersonal conflicts, and disputes. There is significant scientific evidence (as reported by United Nation 2020) suggesting an increase in physical and verbal violence. Furthermore team is encouraging people to be more positive in this time of stress as positive attitude is a key to survive through any time of crisis and offering psychological assistance to families coping with their grief, trauma and psychological symptoms who have lost their loved ones due to COVID-19. This pandemic has brought significant changes in work and family routines and lifestyle. Team will support the families how to adjust to new or novel situation and with rapid changes and social demands. Apart from that experts are providing psychoeducational support fostering a systemic.
