Dr Dorcas Sibanda, deputy director for Mental Health Services and Substance Abuse, told The Zimbabwean last week that the country was experiencing an increase in mental health cases, partly due to stress among adults caused by economic challenges and drug abuse by youths .“Between 6,000 and 8,000 patients visited health centres for treatment every month in 2014, before shooting up to 10,000 towards the end of the year,” she said. “Among adults of both sexes the main cause of mental illness would be stress induced due to economic and social problems.”
According to Sithole, responsibilities such as providing families with food, accommodation, school fees and medical facilities among others, would overpower the mental endurance of some breadwinners. Chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS contributed to the increase in mental health cases. Among affected youths, the cases were attributed to substance abuse. “Some youths would abuse alcohol, prescription medicines such as cough mixtures, glue, petrol and marijuana among other drugs,” said Sithole.
Dr David Parirenyatwa, the Minister of Health and Child Care, recently admitted that mental health cases were rising at a worrisome rate. Speaking at the launch of the Mental Health Strategy 2014-2018 he said: “Harsh economic situations, unemployment, poverty, change in disease patterns particularly HIV/AIDS and natural disasters which led to post traumatic stress disorders, are among major causes of the mental challenges.
Abuse of alcohol and use of illicit drugs are some of the contributors.” According to Parirenyatwa, there were 86,671 registered mentally ill patients in the country during early months of 2014. A further 7,763 cases had been registered by the end of the year. He also blamed the breakdown of family structures and values for the increased number of cases.
Experts estimate that one in every four people in Zimbabwe suffers from mental disorder, translating to 10 percent of the population. But most of them do not seek medical treatment.
Zimbabwe is reeling under an economic crisis characterised by an unemployment rate hovering at 85 percent. Government has downplayed the levels of unemployment, as it maintains that 80 percent of people are gainfully employed in the informal sector.
Post published in: Economy