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October 10, 2021 marks awareness and advocacy for mental health around the world. World Mental Health Day is a day set aside annually by the World Health Organization and the World Mental Health Federation since its inception in 1992 to raise awareness and provide education on mental health, especially against social stigma, and for people to be more inclined towards their mental health condition and to take appropriate measures to improve it.
This year’s awareness is placed under the theme “Mental health in an unequal world”. This theme is supported by the effect of Covid-19 which arguably worsened inequalities and poverty levels around the world, worsening the mental health of many people.
My good friend: similar fate elsewhere?
Today’s mental consciousness creation reminds me of my very good friend who suffered from severe mental illness. His future aspiration was interrupted due to his illness and had to drop out of school to stay at home for the rest of his life until his death 2 years ago. May his dead soul rest in peace.
Despite his situation, he was always helpful. His smile alone was enough to brighten up your day even if some looked at him with disdain. Granted, he wasn’t always tidy, but his character was second to none. He was always running towards me whenever he saw me. However, the societal perception of his illness meant that he was always alone. I have to admit his family was very supportive of me, but he was for the most part an unwelcome guest to the audience. Like him, many other Ghanaians across this country suffer a similar fate, if not worse.
Indeed, the statistics are staggering and revealing. The World Health Organization-Ghana estimates that more than 650,000 people in Ghana suffer from severe mental disorders while around 2,166,000 suffer from moderate to mild disorders. It is expected to get even worse due to the protracted pandemic that is being felt around the world.
Despite these alarming figures, many people do not see the urgent need to seek psychiatric care. This could perhaps be attributed to self-denial of mental illness, social stigma, or inequality / lack of access to mental health care.
Unequal world
In an uneven world like ours, the relevance of mental health awareness cannot be overstated. It is not surprising that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular Goal 3 which aim to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” reaffirms the need for a way of life. healthy life, including the state of his mental health. In particular, target 3.4 of Goal 3 further states that “by 2030, reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by a third through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well- to be “.
Indeed, the world is more and more unequal, just like mental health care despite numerous international commitments. Inequality is as old as creation. Perhaps this is how the world was created.
The unequal distribution of resources at the dawn of creation may have contributed to this phenomenon of an unequal world. But what if the creator has deliberately designed this so that man shares these resources equitably for all? If this was the test, then we didn’t live up to the creator’s expectations.
Covid-19 may have widened the divide between rich and poor, but what have we or can we do to correct such an imbalance in access to mental health?
It is true that many companies have been hit hard by the pandemic, with employers having no choice but to lay off their employees. Household incomes have been reduced, some finding refuge only in the streets.
Mental health during a pandemic
Indeed, mental health is a major challenge. For the healthcare worker providing treatment in life-threatening circumstances; for children, the disruption of their daily activities with their friends; for the student who buys more airtime to take courses online without the usual face-to-face conversations with peers and teachers and; for the worker, staying at home without work due to layoffs. So there is no claim that the mental state of these people has been adversely affected.
As the country continues to fight Covid-19, more attention has been paid to symptoms such as headaches, coughs, chest pain, fever and breathing difficulties to name a few with little reliance on the mental health of Covid-19 patients. Many health experts and even several scientific publications suggest that the mental traumas associated with quarantine, self-isolation and social / physical distancing are among the mental illnesses of the novel coronavirus.
Longitudinal studies on the general public show that psychosocial stressors such as disruption of life, fear of contracting the virus, fear of negative economic effects especially among business men and women have increased significantly in this pandemic. Midlife, for example, contributes to stress, anger and increased risky behavior.
A recent study shows that one in eight people who have contracted Covid-19 are diagnosed with their first psychiatric or neurological illness within months of testing positive for the virus. This is more frightening when those with a neurological history are included. Additionally, one in nine Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms suffers from depression or stroke.
Mental illness; a manifestation of madmen only?
Unfortunately, like many of us, mental health is underestimated in our daily activities and health needs. Health for us is only limited to physical well-being and we almost never stop to reflect on the state of our mental health. This myopic view of health, unfortunately, reverberates in our homes, workplaces and even in schools.
Part of this could be attributed to the perception that mental illness is only the manifestation of those we call fools. Thus, many Ghanaians believe that “mad men” are the only ones who suffer from mental illness. This perception undoubtedly makes it difficult for people to access mental health care for the sole reason of being labeled crazy.
Mental health and Ghanaian culture
For some, mental health is a curse, a demonic illness that affects the perceived image of the family. Indeed, men and women suffering from serious or mild mental disorders are rejected by society and are increasingly discriminated against. Some families or societies actually believe that mental illness is a punishment inflicted on individuals or families engaged in some sort of mischief.
As a result, many people will not hesitate to cancel or withdraw from people with traces of such disease in their family; be it friends or potential partners. As a result, some pastors have cashed in people with serious mental disorders, many of whom are chained in prayer camps and accused of witchcraft. These acts further hamper access to appropriate mental health care.
What can we do?
To create equal opportunities for access to mental health care, we must first consider mental illness as it is rather than the perceived notion of spiritual attack. Mental health should therefore be taken seriously and people should see a doctor regularly.
Societies should offer people with mental illness the help and advice they need, especially those suffering from depression and unusual behavior. It should be mentioned that the government is more committed to expanding access to mental health care under the flagship program of Action 111.
The government therefore intends to build and rehabilitate psychiatric hospitals. This will create spatial equity in access to mental health care and stop the mass movement of people from the northern sector to the southern sector before accessing mental health care. So it requires massive support and dedication from the public, as the government aims to create equal opportunities for all.
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