Envision International Karachi

[Violet Schoneman]

Inthis Q & A, Dr. Bhamani shares insights into her background, the specific mental health challenges she aims to tackle, and her vision for leveraging the fellowship to influence mental health policy and practice, not only in Pakistan but globally. Her commitment to promoting resilience and improving mental health outcomes among adolescents underscores her aspiration to bring about meaningful change through evidence-based research and community engagement.

I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2004 from the AKU School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan, followed by a Master of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the AKU Medical College. With a quest for learning and a passion for higher education, I obtained a PhD in Health Sciences from Ghent University, Belgium in 2023.

My career in nursing education and practice gradually evolved into a specialization in mental health for women and children, shaped by my experience at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and as a community health nurse in urban squatter settlements. These roles provided firsthand insight into the complex health challenges faced by individuals, particularly women and adolescents in Pakistan.

I am excited and humbled to be the first nurse from Pakistan selected for this joint fellowship between Harvard University and AKU, and I look forward to making a difference for women and children in Pakistan.

My public health experience has highlighted profound disparities in mental health care between high-income and low- and middle-income countries. Witnessing limited access to mental health services, insufficient infrastructure, pervasive stigma, and devastating consequences for individuals and communities deeply impacted me. Particularly concerning adolescents, significant stressors like academic pressure, violence, bullying, parental expectations, and socio-economic challenges can lead to severe mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and suicide.

During this fellowship, I aim to start with school-going children, involving their parents and teachers to create a supportive network that fosters resilience and well-being. Drawing on my experience with resilience-building interventions among women, I believe such programs can equip adolescents with problem-solving skills, emotional regulation, and a positive outlook which is crucial for managing challenges.

Balancing demands and expectations at both Harvard and AKU will be challenging, especially being away from Pakistan. However, I am confident in handling these challenges by practicing resilience-building skills, focusing on long-term goals, self-care, staying connected with family and friends, nurturing my spiritual and mental health, getting involved in the local community, and embracing flexibility and adaptability.

Access to world-class resources and mentorship at Harvard, along with support from AKU and my seniors in the field, will be instrumental in overcoming research challenges and broadening my academic perspectives.

My approach involves a multifaceted strategy to promote resilience and improve mental health among vulnerable populations, especially adolescents. Starting at the grassroots level, I will develop and implement evidence-based resilience-building interventions tailored to the unique needs of adolescents, considering cultural and social factors. Involving parents, teachers, and school leaders will create a supportive school and home environment that fosters openness and strong support systems. Collaborating with international organizations will allow me to share best practices and extend the impact of my work to other LMICs.

By publishing and disseminating my research findings in high-impact journals and presenting at international conferences, I aim to influence mental health policies in Pakistan and globally. I envision establishing a Center of Resilience in Pakistan, making mental health and well-being accessible to underprivileged women and children lacking awareness of mental health.

In his book Pakistan: A Hard Country1 Anatol Lieven joined the long parade of South Asia scholars attempting to A) explain what is happening, B) provide some explanatory variables C) provide specific foreign policy recommendations, and D) forecast what will happen in the future.

Scholars grappling with these issues fall into two very broad categories. The alarmist group concludes that things have already deteriorated too far and that it not a question of if Pakistan will disappear but when.

In the Pakistani context, a small minority of violent Islamists are the revolutionaries. They use extreme methods in their attempt to force or convince a reluctant population to abandon its inherent conservatism and embrace their version of Islam based on a narrow and violent definition of jihad and a stark anti-modernism disguised as Islamic purity.

Disappointed by their poor reception, the Islamic radicals decided to terrorize Pakistanis into submission. They unleashed a wave of terrorist attacks on innocent Pakistanis that grows more violent and widespread with each passing day. The radicals have long targeted Shia Muslims and Ahmadiyas4, denouncing both groups as heretics. They then turned their attention to Pakistani Christians. Now they have begun to target the Pakistani population at large. Distressed that most Pakistanis remain heavily influenced by Sufism and Pakistani folk practices (often loosely organized within the predominant Barelvi sect5), Islamic radicals expanded their target list to include highly revered Sufi shrines, Sufi saints, liberal and westernized Pakistanis, women, and Sunni Muslims who reject their extreme doctrines.

This latest band of Arab revolutionaries follows on a centuries old tradition. Islamic radicals from outside the region have long viewed the Pathans as potential jihadis to be recruited and manipulated. The current jihad spreading from the Pathan region into Afghanistan and Pakistan is only the latest of a series of such movements.

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