The youth in Africa faces an epidemic of mental health problems or mental disorders and healthcare systems are not well equipped to handle the situation.
Research has indicated high incidence of mental illness and mental health symptoms among teenagers in sub-Saharan Africa, with a greater burden compared to that in high-income nations.
A recent study estimates that globally, 12–20 per cent of teenagers experience mental health disorders. The most recent systematic review focusing on sub-Saharan Africa revealed that one in seven children and adolescents experiences significant psychological challenges and virtually 10 per cent qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis.
Similarly, the mental illness common in wealthy nations, poor living conditions and high prevalence of HIV-Aids were extra risk factors for mental health morbidity in Africa.
According to more than 36 studies by the World Health Organization published between 2008 and 2020 and spanning 98,617 teenagers, researchers found the following prevalence: depression (26.9 per cent); anxiety disorders (29.9 per cent); emotional and behavioural problems (41.8 per cent) and suicidal thoughts (21.8 per cent).
The experts propose that interventions should focus in church, clinics and school settings to improve child and adolescent mental healthcare. Mental health should be an integral part of programmes related to community empowerment, poverty reduction, HIV-Aids prevention, and reproductive and sexual health.
The studies observe that depression and anxiety disorders – the two most common mental health conditions – cost the global economy $1 trillion every year in lost productivity.
The studies equally suggested that every dollar invested in scaling up treatment for depression and anxiety can generate a return of $4 in terms of improved well-being and increased ability to work. But the most important step toward improving mental health will be to make access to care routinely.
The studies are an eye-opener because for long people have detached the mind from the body and regarded mental conditions as something separate from our overall health. As a result, millions who require mental health support have been ignored, with a dramatic impact on economic resources, productivity and output.
The reality, of course, is that mental and physical health are closely connected, with each contributing to overall well-being. We must recognise this if we want the world to be a happier and more prosperous place for future generations.
To succeed, efforts to tackle major global problems such as mental health must be collaborative and sustainable. First, the stigma surrounding mental illness in the workplace must be reduced. One should not suffer in silence with a condition that can be treated or prevented in some cases.
By recognising mental health and wellness matters at work, we can equally make a difference in our homes and communities. Seeking mental health care should be as routine as seeking treatment for diabetes, or heart condition.
Secondly, we must reduce mental health inequity, a frequently ignored issue. This is often a problem in lower-income communities, where populations may be at greater risk of pathology and often face the highest obstacles to getting care, in part owing to a lack of the specialised resources available in wealthier areas.
Finally, our health systems must change from “sick care” to “well care.” To move mental well-being into mainstream healthcare and pursue primary prevention as the most efficient approach, we must understand how to counteract and improve the effects of adverse childhood experiences, which are highly correlated with poor mental and physical health later in life.
The game-changer will be found not in hospitals or clinics, but in communities that nurture rather than traumatise the next generations. For our country, this means learning how best to deliver health, not just healthcare.
Pharmacist
