By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
A local Non-Governmental Organization, FoRUT has conducted a three-day training on Mental Health Care and Services and how to facilitate sessions on Community Mental Health care.
The training was launched in Freetown on the 3rd of July 2024 titled: “Supporting Community Resilience in mental Health.”
According to the organizers the training enlightened children, youth, women and men on living in an environment with improved mental health facilities free from stigmatization and discrimination against persons living with or at risk of mental health conditions.
It took place simultaneously in the Western Urban, Rural, PortLoko and Moyamba districts with the aim of capacitating Community Rights Groups to promote mental health and self-care.
Giving his overview of the event, the Programme Manager of FoRUT, Alhassan Jalloh said part of the work of FoRUT is to raise awareness about the illness. He said most people perceive persons exhibiting symptoms of mental illness as being possessed by demonic powers or mentally unstable.
He argued that stigmatization and discrimination towards mental illness is a major issue in Sierra Leone due to the extremely low level of mental health literacy in the country. He quoted the 2005 assessment which he said suggested that up to 85% of people with mental disorders had seen a traditional healer before accessing psychiatric care. “People living with mental health conditions are subjected to wide-ranging violations and discrimination in mental health care settings, including the use of coercive practices, poor and inhuman living conditions, and neglect and in some cases, abuse,” he said.
Jalloh said that they want to change the narrative of community people about people living with mental health conditions and for them to realize that mental health victims can receive psychosocial support and the condition is treatable. He added that at the end of the training they expect local communities to have capacity to manage community-based mental health care and services and can refer people to specialists for treatment.
The Headman of Dwarzak Community, Chief Albert Conteh in his remarks stated that it was during the launch of the program that he realized that everybody is mentally stable depending on the individual’s attitude in life. He expressed fear that Sierra Leone is in trouble due to the influx of the substance called “Kush” which has destroyed the minds of the youthful population in the country. He said that the level of danger posed by the “Kush” is unimaginable.
Chief Conteh said they have held several community engagements geared towards the eradication of the substance, but said it still poses serious problems to the youths and called on youths and community stakeholders to give information about people dealing in it.
In his keynote address, the Deputy Director of the mental health directorate in the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gbangay Kanu said that they are not looking at mental health from the clinical perspective, but from the social aspect of it. He said the ministry has a responsibility to ensure that people’s mental health condition is not at risk of any potential danger leading to madness.
He pointed out that the government has opened a rehabilitation center and declared a state of public health emergency to address issues of mental health disorder. He said the training should help community people to know when their relatives start experiencing mental health conditions and taking narcotic drugs.
Kanu thanked FoRUT for the community-led approach to train people on mental health and assured that the ministry will continue to collaborate with them. He urged the community people to serve as Ambassadors in their various communities.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (10/07/24)
