Mental Health in Africa
The Mental health
of mothers, fathers, and families is a subject that is near and dear to my
heart. While working as a Mental Health and Disability Coordinator for a Head
Start program for six years, I worked with children and families about mental
health issues, and I faced some roadblocks along the way. Because social and
emotional problems impair up to 10-14% of children nationally, and the
consequences can impact society beyond measure is an issue that all educators
need more training and education.
Africa is a place
that is prone to conflict mainly south of the Sahara. Most of its countries
have areas that are characterized by low incomes, a high predominance of
infectious diseases and malnutrition, low life expectancy and poorly staffed services.
Mental health issues often come last on the list of priorities for policy
makers.
The frequency of
mental health problems is high, largely due to inadequate care at childbirth,
malnutrition, malaria and parasitic diseases. Mental Health is still highly
stigmatized, particularly because it is often considered infectious, which
leads to the social isolation of the sufferer and can result in mental
distress. It is estimated that from the ages of 0-9, 3 % suffers from a mental
disorder. As in the United States, there is a stigma attached to mental health
and there is also the problem of superstitions bringing stigma to mental
illness. In some parts of Africa, mental health nurses take care of the
patients and prescribe medications as well.
The world we live
in is becoming a violent place where people don’t seem to have empathy for
other individuals. As an early educator, mental wellness is just as important
as preparing children for kindergarten. It is my belief that if we can address
mental wellness before birth, we will be able to have a society which thinks of
others and can control their impulses. Mental wellness activities and
interventions will become a daily occurrence in the centers, schools, and
classrooms that I work in.
Reference
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ReplyDeleteMental health is also an important topic for me. I too researched it. I learned so much about how important it is for children to grow up with a home that has mental stability. I found that mental health issues are highest in Africa and the Middle east. I did not know that 9% of American children suffer from a mental disorder. That does not seem like a large number, but at the same time it does. I hope that there will some day be an all encompassing community to help families with any mental health issues that may be present.
ReplyDeleteHello Sylvia,
ReplyDeleteI’ve enjoyed reading your post. I can imagine the difficulties you had to endure working with children and families with mental health issues. Children may inherit mental illness whom parents may suffer from anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, ADHD, depression, or bipolar disorder. I agree that individuals working with families of mental health should find out about adolescents, infants, especially concerning their emotional and mental health development.
Good Evening Sylvia,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your insight into the mental health concerns facing not only the families that we encounter here in the United States, but those mental health concerns plaguing young children and their families in Africa. As professionals, I believe that it is important to understand the mental health concerns that plague the children and the families that we work with because we must first understand that in order to help the child to develop intellectual.