Launch of a social media campaign to promote mental health in Mzansi

To combat the stigma associated with mental illness, a leading health-care company dedicated to the cause launched a 31-day social media campaign to begin the conversation after National Awareness Month. mental health in October.

Shouqat Mugjenker, mental health portfolio manager at Pharma Dynamics, says that contrary to popular belief, new research shows that social media engagement can have positive effects on mental health.

"Studies have shown that social media (if they are used primarily to maintain friendships or stay connected socially) are not associated with negative consequences such as loneliness or isolation and may actually help people with dementia. a serious mental disorder to feel more connected. Many people with mental disorders can find personal and personal interactions difficult, making social media an easier and more accessible way to use for social engagement.

"While there is no doubt that spending too much time online can have negative consequences, social media can still play a major role in open discussion around taboo topics, such as mental health.

"Culturally, as a nation, we are simply not willing to talk about mental health. However, the "faceless" and sometimes "no name" social media make it an ideal platform for people to be honest and honest about this judgment or ridiculous. Our social media campaign #Letstalkmentalhealth this month aims to dispel the misconceptions many South Africans have about people with mental illness, which often prevent victims from getting help.

"Mental illness is far more prevalent than we think. Many associate it with serious forms, such as schizophrenia or bipolar, but the most calm conditions, such as depression and anxiety, are much more invasive and often result in a tragedy, "she said. he declared.

According to the South African Study on Stress and Health (SASH), the latest available study on psychiatric disorders in sub-Saharan Africa, about 16.5% of South African adults currently live with a mental health disorder while about 30% will suffer from mental disorders. mental disorder at some point in their lives. However, since the data was collected several years ago in 2009, the numbers should be much higher given the rise in mental disorders around the world.

In addition to providing support to patients, researchers are also turning to social media to help them diagnose depression. Last year, scientists from Vermont and Harvard Universities developed a program analyzing Instagram data for 166 participants, 71 of whom were clinically depressed. They looked for trends in more than 43,950 publications and found differences in the characteristics of social media posts between depressed and non-depressed participants.

Pictures posted by people with depression tended to be darker with more blue and gray tones; received more comments from the study cohort; contained more faces and when filters were used, a black and white filter was preferred. People with depression also usually displayed more often. Once the researchers put their results into an algorithm, the computer program was able to correctly identify about 70% of the depressed subjects.

According to Mugjenker, even though depression is complex and often coincides with other mental health problems or chronic pain, using social media to identify this depression could be a step in the right direction, especially in South Africa , where mental health professionals are lacking.

"We all feel sad at some point in our lives, but if these feelings overwhelm us week after week, you should not neglect them. Common signs of depression include increased fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety or constant tension, feelings of danger and panic, difficulty concentrating, loss of interest in life, inappropriate behaviors. risk, addiction, uncontrollable emotions, changes in appetite and mood, among others. "

Pharma Dynamics will use its Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter communities to address the depression and anxiety issues with which millions of people struggle each day, and hopes that by inviting people to speak openly about mental illness, those who need help will feel comfortable enough to seek care.

Its #Letstalkmentalhealth social media campaign extends the organization's online efforts, which connects people of all ages, genders and cultures to tools and resources via www.letstalkmh.co.za. The website provides users with expert advice on how to identify and treat mental illness and provides them with a secure, anonymous, peer-to-peer experience to write about various mental health issues, such as: as treatment of work pressure, loneliness, general anxiety and / or depression.

Mugjenker said there are three goals for the social media segment of the Let's Talk campaign:

1. Eliminate mental health barriers by educating the public and people living with these diseases
2. Know what symptoms to look for so that people with cancer can seek help quickly, while their loved ones can provide the support and encouragement they need;
3. Increase positive social connectivity to help sufferers feel accepted.

"Our campaign challenges all South Africans to learn more about mental health. Those who take the pledge are encouraged to take action in conversations and to see people with mental illness who they really are rather than for their illness. The more people become aware of mental health problems, the deeper their understanding is and the more they will want to help and get involved, "says Mugjenker.