Most Africans view mental disturbances as the result of an external attack on the person. Those who are suffering from mental illness are thought to be under a spell or bewitched. People talk about evil spirits when describing the condition of a mentally ill person.
This trend is often compounded by three factors: ignorance about the extent of mental health problems, stigma against those living with mental illness and mistaken beliefs that mental illnesses cannot be treated. Absence of treatment is the norm rather than the exception across the continent.
In South Africa, in addition to a lack of resources, there is a stigma attached to mental illness. People living with mental illnesses are perceived as crazy, under a spiritual curse, weak, or simply misunderstood.
Sweden. While Sweden might not have the warmest climate with an average temperature of 2.1°C, there are several reasons why this Nordic nation ranks first in the world for mental wellbeing.
Mental Health Stigma
Stigma is a factor preventing Kenyans from receiving efficient treatment. Therefore, greater public education on mental disorders and providing more resources for treatment can improve the lives of those living with mental disorders in Kenya.
According to a new report, South Africa ranks as one of the worst countries regarding mental health. The report is the second Annual Mental State of the World Report from Sapien Labs. The study focused on countries that have access to the internet and assessed the mental wellbeing of people in these countries in 2021.
In Filipino culture, mental illness is attributed to superstitious or supernatural causes, such as God's will, witchcraft, and sorcery [68, 69], which contradict the biopsychosocial model used by mental health care professionals.
Just over a quarter of Black (28%) and Hispanic (27%) nonelderly adults reported having a mental illness or substance use disorder in 2020, compared to 36% of White nonelderly adults (Figure 4).
World Health Organization global study
The United States, Colombia, the Netherlands and Ukraine tended to have higher prevalence estimates across most classes of disorder, while Nigeria, Shanghai and Italy were consistently low, and prevalence was lower in Asian countries in general.
The subject of mental health is largely taboo in Africa. If someone falls ill, the entire family is seen as cursed. But psychiatric problems are on the rise and can no longer be ignored. The causes of this development are the many social changes in the past 50 years.
The most recent systematic review focusing on sub-Saharan Africa reported that one in seven children and adolescents experiences significant psychological challenges, and almost 10% qualify for a psychiatric diagnosis.
In Africa, about 29.19 million people (9% of 322 million) suffer from depression, with over 7 million in Nigeria (3.9% of 322 million). Estimates place the lifetime prevalence of depressive disorders from 3.3% to 9.8% (Esan and Esan, 2016).
They are particularly vulnerable to human rights violations such as abuse, neglect and denial of access to education and work opportunities. Investments in evidence-based mental healthcare can help ensure the necessary safeguards are in place for those in need of care and help normalize seeking treatment.
Taboos. Discussing mental health conditions is also often taboo in Latin American cultures and communities. This means that parents, children, and teachers often do not talk about this topic enough.
Statistics tell us that about 25% of African Americans seek mental health treatment, compared to 40% of white Americans.
Culture significantly impacts various aspects of mental health including the perception of health and illness, treatment-seeking behaviour and coping styles. As such, simplified mainstreaming of mental health approaches may not cater to the needs of a culturally diverse population from different communities.
1 in 5 (20% or 5.0 million) Australians reported that they had a mental or behavioural condition during the collection period (August 2020 to June 2021). Females reported a higher proportion of mental or behavioural conditions (23%) than males (17%).
This is an important lesson for those wishing to conduct such research within the African continent. Baseline evaluation of the cohort gave an estimated lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia of 4.7/1000, a rate similar to that in developed countries and at the upper end of the range for developing countries.
Depression is a silent epidemic in Africa, especially for women, who are affected at twice the rate of men. Yet most African governments spend less than 1% of their allocated health budget on mental health. The World Health Organization estimates that 85% of people with depression have no access to effective treatment.
Public stigma involves the negative or discriminatory attitudes that others have about mental illness. Self-stigma refers to the negative attitudes, including internalized shame, that people with mental illness have about their own condition.
There are several reasons why mental health has been ignored. The first one is an associated stigma. The second is a perception of mental health disorders as a “luxury good”, as opposed to actual illnesses. The additional top reasons include a fragmented and outdated service model.
The stigma associated with public opinions on mental illness can be damaging. Due to the fear that mentally ill people will hurt themselves or others, they're often punished for asking for help. Police agencies, for example, often have mental health crisis lines that many officers are afraid to call.