Published 4 May 2015
Every year many South Africans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. During the month of July, healthcare providers, NGOs and the rest of the country are raising awareness to mental illness as this is one of the biggest challenges facing the country.
Awareness in mental illness plays a critical role in ensuring that people with mental health problems are aware of the services and treatment facilities available to them, and also to set right the misconceptions surrounding intellectual and psychiatric disabilities and reduce the stigma and isolation of people with these conditions.
“Mental illness is a major cause of morbidity as well as some mortality, particularly amongst citizens at risk in South Africa. Generally, mental health promotion and the provision of services (for mental illness) have been neglected in the past. Common manifestations are interpersonal violence, gender and age specific forms of violence, trauma, neurosis of living under continual stress, post-traumatic stress reactions and disorders, substance abuse, suicide and adjustment related reactions and disturbances in children and the elderly”. (White Paper for Transformation of the Health System in South Africa, 1997:p135)
In the deed to discontinue the lack of attention in mental illness, the South African Federation for Medical Health (SAFMH) has awareness programme which utilises media channels as well as developing information materials for distribution within communities. Currently they have three media campaigns which are conducted every year to tie in with the three areas of mental health; intellectual Disability awareness during March, Psychiatric Disability awareness during July and Mental well-being promotion and awareness during October culminating in World Mental Health Day on October 10th.
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group is also committed to increasing awareness about mental illness and the stigma surrounding it. This Non-Profit Organisation is at the forefront of the patient advocacy, education, and destigmatisation of mental illness in the country. Its expertise lies in assisting patients and callers throughout South Africa with mental health queries.
FPD school of Health Sciences is offering an online course in Mental Health to all Healthcare professionals. For more information about the course, contact Tshepo Gaofetoge at tshepog@foundation.co.za or 012 816 9000.