We need to save our children! They are seriously affected by depression and anxiety
leading to suicides at a very young age. Here are some statistics:
In Africa, 2 in 7 young people aged 5 to 16 have a mental health problem. 2 in 10 are
affected by depression anxiety and posttraumatic stress that is around five children in
every class. Suicide is the ninth most common cause of death for young people in Africa
age 10-14. Adolescents and teens aged 10-19 years, 37 million of them live with a
mental disorder, anxiety and depression accounts for almost 50 per cent of mental
disorders (unicef.org/media/109886).
This picture is quite frightening, considering that the figures of children affected by
mental ill health continues to sky rocket. It is time for schools both rural and urban areas
to take the mental health of children seriously, enough to include it in the curriculum
because mental health issues are becoming more common in children and adolescents
in Africa. Looking after one’s mental health can preserve a person’s ability to enjoy life
as there can be no health and joy without mental health.
Depression is on the rise
There are 322 million people who live with depression globally, 29.9 million of
these are in Africa including children – and 66 million of these are women.(World
health Organization).Mental illness, particularly depression, is predicted to
become one of the major health burdens in the future.
.As childhood and adolescent mental health disorders are already so common in
Africa, and depression is on the rise, we need to do something in schools. It’s
baffling that we are not equipping our children with an understanding of mental
health and self-care. Undiagnosed, inadequately treated or untreated mental
illness can seriously affect their ability to learn and grow. It can lead to negative
coping mechanisms and at worst, may result in suicide.
The importance of early intervention
Learning about early warning signs, and taking action can help. It can reduce the
severity of the illness, and it may even be possible to prevent or delay the
development of a major mental illness. Some of these signs are apathy, feelings
of disconnection, nervousness, unusual behavior, withdrawal, mood changes and
a drop in performance.
Mental health education should be part of the
curriculum
We need to be working towards a school environment where students are able to
recognize when they’re dealing with mental health issues and feel they can ask
for help. Just as they do, with their physical health.
Just as physical education is part of the curriculum in schools, mental health awareness
and education should be too. Our children spend most of their day at school. We need
to empower them with knowledge about mental illness.
Mental health is as important as the physical health, in fact more important than the
physical health, because it’s out of our mental health state that that we feed our physical
health, and from the space that we live our everyday lives, wherever we are and
whatever we are doing. It all comes back to our mental state. It all leads to teaching
mental and physical health together leads to better outcomes for students and the
whole school community. If children, teachers and the school communities learn about
mental health in school, not only students, but the whole school community will manage
their lives better.
This in turn will also remove the fear that lies around mental health, help break the
myths, taboos and stigma of mental ill health, something that is prevalent in Africa and
normalize mental health and all the negative issues that surround it.
Increased Risk of Substance Abuse
In this day and age, children are no longer ‘to be seen’ and not heard. The link between
poor mental health and increased substance abuse is undeniable. The use of drugs and
alcohol is a way for many people to cope with their feelings.
If children learn about mental health in school, they will know how to better deal with
their emotions. This will result in fewer young people turning to drugs and alcohol as an
escape.
Conclusion
Primary and high schools are a time of important change and development. It is also a
time when mental health problems such as depression and anxiety first emerge.
Schools can be an amazing source of support for children during these years, but they
can also be a source of strain or stress, and it is often in schools where symptoms of
mental health problems are first identified.
Mental health education is not yet mandatory in schools. Until it is, teachers and
the school communities need to help shine the light on the concept of self-care.
And, they need to emphasize the fact that mental health is an integral part of
health.
A cultural shift in attitudes about mental health needs to start with the young. The
only way they’re going to understand more about mental health and stop
stigmatizing is if they receive the necessary education.
Schools need to foster an environment in schools where mental health issues
can be identified and addressed without being stigmatized. Awareness should be
raised about mental health crises, such as self-harm, substance abuse, eating
disorders and other negative coping behavior needs to be created.
If everyone in schools is empowered with knowledge, and dialogue is
encouraged, students will have the freedom to open up about what they are
going through. This will allow them to get the support they need before it’s too
late.
Making mental health education a mandatory part of the school curriculum is long
overdue.
Shibero Akatsa(Ms)
