More needed to tackle SA’s ‘mental health emergency’
According to SADAG, the past nine months its helpline has received 2 200 calls per day from people with suicidal thoughts.
Mental health awareness is the focus this month with educational campaigns needed to fight the stigma surrounding these illnesses.
This is the call from healthcare professionals during the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) Mental Wellbeing Livestream held on Thursday, who’ve labelled the current situation a ‘mental health emergency’.
According to SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group), the past nine months its helpline has received 2 200 calls per day from people with suicidal thoughts.
According to Anele Siswana, a clinical psychologist and guest on the livestream event, South Africans don’t always know how to speak about mental health.
‘We don’t have the language to speak about mental health issues such as depression and anxiety,’ explained Siswana.
‘In some communities, behavioural changes due to mental health challenges are seen as demonic possession.’
Siswana highlighted the role of families in addressing this challenge: ‘It is vital that families, armed with mental health knowledge, intervene when loved one starts showing signs of mental health issues. Low energy, weight loss or gain and self-isolation are all red flags that must be addressed.’
Dr Bello Alvarez, host of HWSETA’s Mental Wellbeing Livestream believes that we’re dealing with internalised and externalised stigmatisation.
‘We need to embark on proactive psychological education awareness drives where we talk about common disorders and how they can be treated,’ said Alvarez.
‘Fortunately, there’s increased worldwide awareness of mental health due to the toll of the Covid-19 pandemic.
More and more we are seeing highly functional individuals coming forward with their mental health struggles, speaking openly about the daily challenges they face.
Mental health should be normalised to a point that it forms part of everyday discussion.’
Check out the event on HWSETA’s social media platforms:
· Facebook at (@HWSETA / https://www.facebook.com/HWSETA).
· Instagram (@HWSETA_SA / https://www.instagram.com/hwseta_sa/).
· LinkedIN (@HWSETA / https://www.linkedin.com/company/hwseta/).
