Dr Saima Hirani of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan, has won the University of Alberta’s
Genevieve Gray PhD Medal in Nursing which recognises excellence in research and academics.
The award is given annually by the Canadian university’s Faculty of Nursing to one PhD graduate who has achieved “the highest academic standing”. Dr Hirani, an assistant professor at AKU, recently completed her doctorate in nursing with a focus on mental health promotion, at the University of Alberta. Her thesis Social Support Intervention to Improve Resilience and Quality of Life of Women Living in Urban Karachi, Pakistan: A Randomized Controlled Trial involved a six-week intervention with vulnerable women living in Metroville, Karachi.
Studies in Pakistan show that women are more prone to psychological illnesses than men with women living in economically and socially disadvantaged areas being at higher risk of mental health problems. Dr Hirani’s research focused on evaluating whether a low-cost and easily scalable programme of weekly group sessions in a neighbourhood healthcare facility could enable women to become more resilient by finding their own solutions to issues affecting their mental health.
Speaking about her research, Dr Hirani said: “Mental health complements physical health and directs our approaches to address life’s limitations. Poor awareness about mental health disorders, stigmas tied to seeking treatment and insufficient investment in preventive services mean that there is poor access to much-needed mental healthcare services. This impacts the ability of communities to adapt and recover from setbacks in their daily life.
“Participants in the intervention felt relieved to find other women facing the same problems as them. Many were inspired to try solutions discussed in group sessions and looked forward to sharing their progress. Importantly, the study also highlights how society misunderstands how women cope with stresses in their daily life which is why I also explore the need for a more gender-sensitive measure of resilience,” she added.
Dr Hirani graduated with a master’s in nursing from SONAM in 2009. Before pursuing an academic career in nursing, she worked as a cardiac intensive care nurse at the Aga Khan University Hospital from 1999 to 2002.
On hearing of the award, Dr Hirani said: “I’m delighted to receive this honour. I hope that this award will draw attention to ways in which healthcare professionals can bring mental health interventions to primary care settings across the country.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to my supervisors Dr Gerri Lasiuk and Dr Colleen Norris and Professor Rozina Karmaliani at AKU for their time, constructive feedback and intellectual contributions. I’d also like to thank Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program, Genevieve Grey Endowment Fund, University of Alberta, and Margaret McNamara Education Grant for granting me scholarships and awards and the Aga Khan Health Services Pakistan for their operational support in executing this study,” Dr Hirani said.
