LAHORE: A pre-conference workshop was conducted at Psychiatry department, KEMU on 10th September, International Day of Suicide Prevention. This was part of 6th National Conference on Medical Journals being organized by Pakistan Association of Medical Editors in collaboration with UHS. The topic of the workshop was “Navigating the Intersection: Journalism, Mental Health, and Suicide Reporting”.
The workshop was aimed at psychiatry residents, psychology and speech therapy students and related mental health professionals. It was facilitated by Prof Nazish Imran of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr Roop Kiran, Senior Registrar Psychiatry, and Dr Maryam Ayub, Fellow Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The facilitators discussed positive and negative portrayal of mental health in broadcast media, suicide as a public health problem, scientific evidence of effect of suicide reporting, and local media reporting practices. The workshop participants were introduced to various media reporting guidelines and practiced them through group activities to understand the positive and negative effects of media reporting of mental health and suicide. Prof. Saira Afzal, Chairperson of Community and Preventive Medicine, KEMU was also present among the postgraduate residents and students from various medical institutions who participated in the workshop.
