LAHORE  - The ‘Mental Health Week’ Monday began at the Government College University Lahore under the auspices of Psychology Department with a painting exhibition highlighting the miseries of people due to unemployment, load-shedding, poverty, gender violence, injustice, illiteracy, media biasness and religious prejudice and effect of these factors on people’s mental health.
GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khaleeq-ur-Rahman inaugurated the painting exhibition in which about 90 students from twelve educational institutions put on display 60 posters on topics related to “social psychology”. 
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the VC said he always considered psychologists as reformers of the society and it was their responsibility to give ideas and policies through indigenous research to form and maintain a healthy society. He said that Mental Health Week (MHW) celebrations at GCU would provide opportunities to students for obtaining hands on knowledge about the practical implications of psychology.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Syeda Salma Hasan, the in-charge of Psychology Department, said that a two-day international conference on “social psychology” was also part of the MHW celebrations, besides a Performing Art Competition and Inter-universities Quiz Contest. She also said that the purpose of celebrating mental health week was to promote awareness among young scholars about the social realities.
The students of Beaconhouse National University secured the first position in the poster exhibition for their poster titled “Who I Am”, while University of Lahore and University of Management and Technology got the second and third positions respectively.
Later, an awareness walk was also held on the GCU campus in connection with Mental Health Week. A large number of faculty members and students took part in the walk.