The Sunday Mail
Extra Reporters
Government records indicate that approximately 1,3 million people in the country have one mental illness or the other.
This figure, which represents 10 percent of the entire population, has sparked debate on numerous social and political forums, and while it has given ammunition to prophets of doom, a holistic approach is imperative if the nation is to fully deal with the problem.
Firstly, mental illnesses are of a broad variety. There are more than 200 different mental illnesses, including conditions like depression and anxiety.
So no, Zimbabwe is not a nation of mad people.
In fact, four mental illnesses are common in the country: depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and developmental abuse. Depression accounts for 30 percent of mental illnesses in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s statistics more or less fit into global patterns.
Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa says the country recorded 7 763 new mental health cases last year.
Worldwide, more than 450 million people suffer from mental or neurological disorders according to the 2011 World Health Organisation Mental Health Atlas.
Sociologist Mr Peter Rwafa argues that the statistics are attributable to socio-economic.
“This is not confined to this country only as it had become commonplace from all over the world, with varying scenarios confined and interpreted from society to society,” he said.
“It is common knowledge that every country is afflicted with many socio-economic and political problems, which leads to various psychosocial problems.
“This leads to other problems associated with mental illnesses and subsequently leads to the perpetuation of insatiable desires, such as alcohol and drug abuse.”
Government has often been accused of not giving mental health the attention it deserves.
Coupled with that is the lack of conscientisation on the part of the general populace to fully grasp and deal with mental health concerns.
At the launch of the National Mental Health Strategy (2014-2018) last week, Dr Parirenyatwa acknowledged that mental health issues had often been ignored and as a result received little consideration in terms of action programmes.
A Harare-based mental health expert concurred: “We come short on the provision of resources needed to affect such simple looking processes which have far greater consequences, such as counselling for depression patients, post-traumatic stress disorder for traumatic situation victims and rehabilitation centres for alcohol and drug abusers.”
Zimbabwe has nine civilian mental health institutions, four of them at Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo, Harare Psychiatric Unit, and Parirenyatwa Hospital Annexe (also Harare) and Ngomahuru Hospital in Masvingo Province.
Dr Parirenyatwa said his ministry would strive to ensure provision of equitable and quality mental health services.
