SA NEEDS TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

NEW York this week became the first state in the US to launch mandatory mental health classes for students in elementary, middle and high schools.

This means that pupils in all the grades will now be taught how to deal with depression, anxiety, bipolar and the stigma surrounding the chronic illnesses and how to better deal with them.

This remarkable decision by the state falls in line with the urgent call made by the World Health Organisation in 2015 for global leaders and communities to stand up and promote mental health and well-being in their respective regions.

In South Africa, it is said that a third of our population suffers from mental illnesses.

The issue, it is said, is further exacerbated by the shortage of medication which many people in impoverished areas can’t or will not access in their lifetime. It doesn’t require much for one to understand how important it is for SA to place mental health at the forefront.

The tragedy that emerged out of the Life Esidimeni programme, where more than 100 innocent people lost their lives, exposed the weakness and futility of the public health-care system and the disheartening manner in which institutions – as few as they are – care for mental health patients due to inadequate staff members and a plethora of other difficulties they face daily.

It also spoke to how, in this day and age, the struggle continues for the average person while the multinational pharmaceutical industry continues to amass wealth through the sales of expensive medication.

Egyptian psychiatrist Ahmed Okasha penned a research paper where he outlined challenges that the African continent grapples with where mental health is concerned.

He was quoted, “Africa is a large continent, prone to strife, especially south of the Sahara. Most of its countries are characterised by low incomes, the high prevalence of communicable diseases and malnutrition, low life expectancy and poorly staffed services.”

These glaring life realities listed here by Okasha, unfortunately, fall parallel with substance abuse as often drugs and alcohol become the only and immediate “medicine” strong enough to cure the ills some individuals face.

In today’s society, the tendency to abuse contraband in order to cope with psychiatric issues has nothing to do with class – it affects the affluent and those individuals who live below the poverty line.

If one takes a moment to reflect, it will be clear that today’s adults who deal with mental health issues were once children. They have had to grin and bear it and continue with life without dealing with the underlying symptoms.

Waking up to the reality that somewhere in the world a child will now know how to identify depression and ways to tackle all the triggers, is a reality that is not only fascinating but necessary.

It would also be opportune to remember the words of Kate Middleton when she said, “A child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health ...”.

The initiative by New York is one that we can all emulate.