Mental health is an integral part of health. Realizing this has made various bodies and organizations around the world take steps and measures to promote the mental health of individuals within their jurisdiction. However, within the context of Africa, less is done in that regard, as the prevalence of mental illnesses in the region could be explained by certain factors probably unique to the region (Ambikile, & Iseselo, 2017; Muhorakeye & Biracyaza, 2021). This article briefly discusses some of hindering factors to mental health in Africa and suggests a way forward. Before delving into that, it is important to clarify what mental health and mental illness are.
Mental health as defined by the World Health Organization is a “state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” Mental illness on the other hand would be said to have occurred when an individual experiences certain feelings, thoughts, and behaviours that interfere with a person’s ability to function in daily activities of life (Jenkins & McCulloch, 2002). Mental illness otherwise called mental disorder is characterized by disturbances in various areas of mental functioning as expressed in inappropriate thinking patterns, mood, and behaviour of a person (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Common examples of mental illness include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, suicidal ideation, schizophrenia, etc. These illnesses are common in Africa as well as other parts of the world. However, certain factors have stood as hindrances to the diagnosis and treatment as well as to the prevention of these illnesses in the continent.
Hindering factors
Recent studies have identified these factors and have classified them into five broad categories of attitude, economy, physical, infrastructure, and political. Factors within these categories are discussed below.
Stigma – In Africa, mental illnesses are highly stigmatized. In fact, some cultures in Africa regard depression as taboo and this further elicits fear, and anger and causes avoidance behaviour when the issue of mental illness is mentioned. Due to the stigma associated with mental illnesses, relatives of sufferers prefer to hide them to avoid being ostracized and discriminated against in their communities instead of seeking treatment (Patel, 2007; Collins et al., 2011; Mawadri, 2017).
Ignorance and faith in traditional healers and prayer – another hindrance to mental health in the African religion is the ignorance about the cause and treatment of mental illness as some Africans believe that mental illnesses are caused by the “wrath of God/gods or demonic possession”, making them seek remedy from traditional healers and prayer houses instead of mental health professionals.
Deficient healthcare facilities and services – there are limited mental health facilities to cater to the need of individuals with mental illnesses in regions of Africa. Even the few available ones are not well equipped and are understaffed. Part of the reason could be due to the stigma attached to studying mental health courses and the profession. Also, the few professionals in the field are underpaid especially in the public sector leading to dissatisfaction and low morale among the service providers.
Poverty – another hindering factor to mental health treatment is poverty in African countries. As a result, sufferers are unable to pay for professional services, leading some to seek the services of traditional healers, prayer houses, and other ineffective measures.
Lack of support from the government – the government of African countries has not been doing much to support the promotion of the mental health of their citizens. In most cases, the issue of mental health is one of the least prioritized issues in the region. This is evident by little or no financial support and policies formulated to promote mental health services in the region. It was estimated by the World Health Organization that Kenya allocates less than 1 per cent of the country’s health budget to mental health (Gberie, 2016). The implication of this would be a deficiency in service provision as observed by Mawadri, (2017). Unfortunately, this trend is similar in other African countries.
Way Forward
To address the hindrances noted above, the following suggestions would be a useful approach.
Awareness creation – an effective approach to address the ignorance and stigma associated with mental illness is awareness creation. Community-based programmes on mental health targeting various groups such as religious groups, educational institutions, and age groups should be encouraged. Fliers, symposiums, and other forms of awareness campaigns can all be organized at the community level, tailored to the culture and language of the various groups. Including mental health in school curriculums will be of enormous benefit.
Training of Mental health professionals – to address the shortage of professionals in the field of mental health, there is a need for more professionals to be trained. This can be achieved by the relevant agencies and government providing scholarships to encourage the training of professionals in the field. Also, the welfare and remuneration of mental health professionals especially in the public service should be enriched to keep them motivated. This will as well encourage others to join the profession. Institutions like the Institute of counseling in Nigeria can be encouraged to train professionals by partnering with the government and
Funding – mental health initiatives and programmes should be supported and funded by the government of various countries in Africa. Also, there should be a special programme designed to support those that cannot afford mental health services. Furthermore, more mental health facilities should be provided in both rural and urban settings as the few available ones are sited in urban centres. To achieve this, there is a need to increase the government budget for mental health.
Formulation and execution of mental health policies – policies that will encourage the promotion of mental health and protect the rights of sufferers should be formulated and executed by countries in the continent.
Based on the discussion above, it is obvious that there are a number of hindering factors to mental health in Africa. Hence, there is a need for a systematic approach to addressing them in order to promote mental health in the continent.
