Confronting African Mental Health Perspectives

One thing that made an impression in my heart during my undergraduate studies was the African attitude towards mental illness. As a volunteer at Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital's outpatient department I interacted with both patients and their caregivers. Some of the

sessions were so heartbreaking. Witnessing the denial and attribution of the illness to witchcraft made me wonder if we will ever win the battle against mental health issues.

My dissertation explored the "Perceived causes of mental illness". I will discuss the study in brief in this article. The attitudes that we hold towards mental illness influence our

approach to treatment and therapy procedures. A number of individuals have attributed mental illness to the work of witchcraft. As much as I acknowledge the role of witchcraft in the ills that we see around us, I believe we have overrated witchcraft and hence ignored some crucial issues.

Beliefs play a crucial role in how we view the world around us hence the African belief system has shaped the attitude and perception towards mental illness. Generally in Africa when something bad happens it is because the ancestral spirits are not happy or an enemy has cast a spell. In one incident a patient claimed that she was doing well and had built a big house so people got jealously and cast a spell on her. There are many such narratives, you have probably heard of students who were doing well in school then suddenly became mentally disturbed.

All these are cases that we attribute to witchcraft and ngozi. The norm therefore is to seek help from those who have a knowledge and belief system similar to us. Hence people are more likely to visit the traditional healers than the psychiatric hospital. I remember my uncle

joking about how Psychologists are in competition with Traditional healers. It might seem as a joke but it is a reflection of the true state of things. But are we truly addressing the cause of mental health issues by choosing this avenue? I will briefly highlight a few of our challenges that contribute to mental health issues.

As Africans we are a people who value alcohol and smoking. We have a culture that embraces drinking and smoking as part of building relationships. It is important to note that a large percentage of mental health issues stem from the alcohol culture. In my research a

majority of the patients had been alcoholics some still continued even after diagnosis. Smoking habits are one of the leading causes of mental health issues. As if smoking is not enough we go a step further and embrace the use of dangerous drugs like Cannabis. In one instance I encountered high school students who were engaged in smoking. When I

inquired they told me that in their community mbanje was considered as a medicine hence everyone smokes. What raised my concern is that the area has a high percentage of people living with mental health disorders. A straight line can easily be drawn between their habits

and the prevalence of mental health issues in the community.

A challenge that we have paid little attention to as a people is the prevalence of depression and stress in our communities. Our approach to these issues is flawed. The consequences are evident in the rise of suicide cases as well as the cases of mental disorders.The male

population is at a higher risk of stress-related mental health disorders. Admitting to be depressed is viewed as a weakness as a result individuals are forced to bear their burdens alone until they reach a breaking point. Studies have proved that traumatic events like

losing a loved one, natural disasters like the recent Cyclone Idai can contribute to mental illness. In one incident a patient lost her home and property to a domestic fire and this led to the beginning of a mental disorder. This confirms the role that trauma plays in mental

health issues.

Understanding the possible causes of mental health issues serves as an eye opener in helping us to address the issues.It is time for us to remove the blinkers that shield us from viewing the reality of mental health. If as a community we would take an active role in creating awareness in our communities, providing social support to the affected

this would go a long way. I challenge fellow mental health professionals to take up active awareness as this will go a long way in the development of healthy societies.

To access my full dissertation document follow this link....

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