The title you just read is the perfect way to emphasize the importance of mental health to physical health. However, mental health has been neglected for too long in Africa and Cameroon to be more specific. Most often regarded as a topic without a head or a tail, so to say a "taboo" topic.
Mental health disorder threatens the quality of our well-being and is a severe threat to our quality of life.
In Cameroon, mental health diseases are neither culturally acknowledged nor considered as an illness. The causes and cultural perceptions of mental disorders include but are not limited to drug misuse, generational curses, God`s punishment, and witchcraft or spiritual possession. Few Cameroonians accept a scientific explanation as a possible cause of mental health disorder.
The failure to recognize mental health illnesses instead tend to exacerbate the situation of mental health patients in a context where access to healthcare is unavailable for most of the population. Apart from the fact that the two urban-based hospitals that provide psychiatric services are acutely ill-equipped and understaffed the available human resources are trained in general medicine, not psychiatric medicine. Furthermore, the stigma associated with mental health disorder can be attributed to the fact that mental illness is believed to be caused by inter-generational curses or witchcraft. This perception typical of most African communities has led to the neglect of mental health patients.
Underneath the suffering and absence of care, mental health patients are faced with stigma, shame, and exclusion. The fundamental human rights of mental health patients including their citizenship rights of voting, working, marriage, and access to state protections are violated with impunity. Stigma trails former mental health patients, they face problems of integration into the public sector.
Mental health problems appear to be increasing in importance in Africa. Between 2000 and 2015 the continent's population grew by 49%, yet the number of years lost to disability as a result of mental and substance use disorders increased by 52%. In 2015, 17·9 million years were lost to disability as a consequence of mental health problems (WHO stats). Such disorders were almost as important a cause of years lost to disability as were infectious and parasitic diseases, which accounted for 18·5 million years lost to disability.
As Africa's population is expected to double over the next three decades, the pressures on young people in particular, who across the region are already struggling to earn a livelihood in highly competitive labour markets, are likely to go up. Many will experience psychological problems as they fail to realise their ambitions, and some will turn to substance misuse as a means of alleviating their frustration.
Not to say frustration can be the only cause for mental disorders. There exist other very prominent causes such as trauma, brain structure, abuse (sexual, physical, emotional), harmful practices (FGM, breast ironing) and poverty. This could result in disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, substance abuse and so on. The above disorders if not quickly handled could result in suicide.
The ripple effect of a mental disorder is the inability of these individuals to function as before. This cripples the economy on many fronts. Therefore, it will be right to say "a mentally healthy community is a wealthy community".
In recent years, we have witnessed International and local civil society organizations try to create awareness on the so-called taboo topic "mental health". Their efforts are almost watered down to zero by the response from conservatives and ignorant population. Such stereotypes and myths can make the job of trained caregivers almost look irrelevant. However few individuals and organizations are not giving up on the fight to make mental health a familiar topic to every household and community.
Looking at the recent happenings in Cameroon, the ongoing war in NOSO, students stabbing and killing teachers, several reported suicide cases, high rates of juvenile delinquency, sexual abuse and other forms of abuse, it is safe to say Mental Health is an "Emergency". There is a need for a positive mental health culture. Thus, awareness creation and mind education. In this regards, Mind Your Mind under the canopy of ME-LOW-DY FOUNDATION is working on the following to bridge the mental health gap in Cameroon;
*Sensitization and awareness creation both on and offline. *Lobby for the creation of mental Health clubs in schools and other social institutions. *Make available hotlines for emergency mental health issues. *Create mental health directories (Purple Pages) of mental health experts in all 10 regions of Cameroon. *provide necessary resources for mental health psychosocial support. *Train mental health advocates in all 10 regions to push for better mental health policy reforms. *Create a synergy to liaise with other related issues to the right quarters. *Offer referral services to persons struggling with mental issues.
In conclusion, effective treatment of mental health disorders should include the rehabilitation of the patients into society. An integrated preventive and curative approach will mitigate the cost of treatment for mental disorders and will enhance population health.