Let’s talk treatment of mental illness
New digital intervention for easy access to treatment this Mental Health Month.
A new online platform known as ‘Let’s Talk’, was launched by Pharma Dynamics this Mental Health Awareness Month, October.
The motive behind Let’s Talk is to break the stigma around mental illness and to make treatment more accessible to the mentally ill. Mental Health Portfolio Manager at Pharm Dynamics (a reliable medication provider), Shouqat Mugjenker, said there is a dire need for digital interventions in this space since the country’s mental healthcare system is falling short.
“In many cultures, mental illness remains a taboo subject and the same taboo often derails any attempt to seek help. When people reach out, family and friends may respond with disinterest or rejection due to lack of understanding. Our platform plays a critical role in connecting sufferers with a community of medical professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists and nutritionists, along with fellow patients whom they can relate to and draw strength from,” said Shouqat.
An estimated one in six South Africans suffer from depression and 20 per cent of the population will at some point in their lives experience some form of depressive disorder. The social impact of these conditions is also a major concern – more than 17 per cent of sufferers cannot take care of dependents. Twenty-six percent are separated or divorced, 47 per cent lose their friends as a result of illness and 49 per cent experience negative family relationships. This does not leave much of a support network and this is where Let’s Talk comes in.
The Let’s Talk portal encourages individuals to open up and share their struggles with mental illness in a safe space, where trained psychiatrists offer support and encourage sufferers to take an active step in their own recovery.
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