The Past, Present and Future of Mental Health Culture in Africa

The concept of mental disorder is determined by many factors, including the historical context, cultural influence, level of scientific knowledge and capacity to carry out scientific enquiry, level of education in certain circumstances, as well as many others.

African perception is influenced by a profound sense of oneness and spirituality. In traditional African psychopathology,?dysfunction implies collective and individual disequilibrium, particularly with regards to disparities in community, physical, and social functioning?(Kwate, 2005).

Culture influences how people describe and feel about their symptoms. It can affect whether someone chooses to recognize and talk about only physical symptoms, only emotional symptoms or both. Cultural diversity across the world has significant impacts on the many aspects of mental health, ranging from the ways in which health and illness are perceived, health seeking behavior, attitudes of the consumer as well as the practitioners and mental health systems.

In some cases, culture has been linked with the increased risk of Mental illness, but this is also largely determined by whether that particular disorder is rooted more in genetic or social factors. In a large review of 115 studies from 36 low and middle-income countries, it was found that?poverty is strongly associated with common mental disorders. These included depression, anxiety and somatoform disorders (psychological disorders with inconsistent physical symptoms).? We can have a tiny debate here: is poverty influenced by culture?

The subject of mental health is largely taboo in Africa. If someone falls ill, it's no surprise to hear that the entire family is seen as cursed. However,? mental health challenges are on the rise and can no longer be ignored. The causes of this development are the many social-cultural changes in the past 50 years.

The current Mental healthcare systems do not meet the present and future needs. Mental health? is highly stigmatized and there are not enough mental health facilities or resources for the people.?

• Africa's population will double over the next three decades. Over 60% under the age of 25. Many will be subjected to increased risk of mental illnesses from increased life pressures.
• Africa has the lowest number of mental healthcare experts, 1·4 workers per 100 000 people, compared with a global average of 9·0 per 100 000.
• Poverty, limited awareness and Stigmatization fear widen the treatment gap (the proportion of those in need who go untreated)

How do we solve and evolve past this?

Here are our thoughts : https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/role-digital-technology-mental-healthcare-tahmef/

References:

1: Exploring the African Perspective on Mental health: https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/25597/04chapter5.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y

2: The social and cultural aspects of mental health in African societies : https://www.commonwealthhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/The-social-and-cultural-aspects-of-mental-health-in-African-societies_CHP13.pdf

3: The concept of mental disorder: an African perspective: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2174593/

4: The Culture of Mental Illness and Psychiatric Practice in Africa: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt16gz69f

5: Madness or sadness? Local concepts of mental illness in four conflict-affected African communities: https://conflictandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1752-1505-7-3

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