title: Community mental health initiatives in Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify mental health needs in local communities, and provide and evaluate nurse-led services to promote community mental health in Karachi, Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using an action research approach, mental health nurses implemented activities to promote mental health and psychiatric rehabilitation in 15 urban communities in Karachi. The activities were planned and implemented in collaboration with a community-based social welfare organisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Community mental health interventions were implemented by a multidisciplinary team including nursing educators and postgraduate nursing students. Positive transformation of the mental health of clients in the community was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The challenges in identifying, diagnosing and rehabilitating clients with mental health needs in the community in Pakistan is acknowledged, and the benefits of enhanced support for clients and their families provided by community mental health nurses are described.
authors: University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, St Patrick's College London, London, England.
authors: Gulnar
authors: G
authors: Ali
authors: Nasreen S
authors: NS
authors: Lalani
authors: Nadia Ali Muhammad Ali
authors: NA
authors: Charania
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010154:Pakistan; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Action research; community mental health services; health promotion; mental health nursing; practice development; practice innovation; psychiatric nursing