US to honour Pakistani psychiatrist for working on mental health issues

After Pakistani-origin lawyer Tirana Hassan went on to head Human Rights Watch, another Pakistani woman is making the nation proud with her work.

According to the Pakistan Embassy in Washington statement on Wednesday, the Pakistani-American psychiatrist Dr Farha Abbasi will reportedly be recognized by the United States government as one of the top women faith leaders in the country during a ceremony.

"The US Department of Health and Human Services will recognize Dr. Farha Abbasi, a renowned psychiatrist and active member of the Pakistani-American community in Michigan, as one of the nation’s top women faith leaders," the embassy’s statement read.

Abbasi will be among 15 women honored tomorrow, Thursday, at a "Women on the Frontlines: Celebrating Women Faith Leaders" event hosted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.

Dr. Abbasi currently works as an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Michigan State University. Known as a core faculty member of the Muslim Studies Program which reinforces faith efficacy and cultural-based solutions to address mental health issues among American Muslims, Abbasi also works directly with the Muslim American community and is the founding director of the Annual Muslim Mental Health Conference. She has launched a Global Muslim Mental Health Conference in Malaysia and Jordan as well.

Dr. Abbasi received the American Psychiatric Association’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Minority Fellowship in 2009. 

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