Mental Health In Namibia

 1. What Is Mental Health?

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps

determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from

childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected.

Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

 Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry

 Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse

 Family history of mental health problems

Early Warning Signs

Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more of the following

feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of a problem:

 Eating or sleeping too much or too little

 Pulling away from people and usual activities

 Having low or no energy

 Feeling numb or like nothing matters

 Having unexplained aches and pains

 Feeling helpless or hopeless

 Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual

 Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared

 Yelling or fighting with family and friends

 Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships

 Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head

 Hearing voices or believing things that are not true

 Thinking of harming yourself or others

 Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

Source: https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health

2. How are people of Namibia affected by mental health

Concepts in mental health

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn

well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our

individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic

human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development.

Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders. It exists on a complex continuum, which is experienced differently

from one person to the next, with varying degrees of difficulty and distress and potentially very different social and clinical

outcomes.

Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response

WHO Namibia supported the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) seminar on mental health to raise awareness on mental

health promotion and suicide prevention amongst the church and community leaders and mobilize efforts in support of mental

health care at community level. The seminar with church leaders, lay counselors and youth leaders was held on 15 and 16

November as part of the World Mental Health Day commemoration.

WHO estimates Namibia suicide rate to be 9.7 in a 100,000 population. This is the fourth highest compared to neighboring

South Africa (23.5), Botswana (16.10) and Zimbabwe (14.1). ‘Mental health is intrinsic and instrumental to the lives of all

people. It influences how we think, feel and act. It underpins our ability to make decisions, build relationships and shape the

world we live in. Mental health is also a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic

development. It is a part of us, all the time, even when we are not thinking about it’ WHO AFRO 2022.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, Dr Ester Muinjangue, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services said that

the upsurge in mental health conditions is a crisis leading to increase in suicide rates. Between January 2020 and June 2021,

Namibia reported 745 suicides while 1172 people attempted or thought of taking their own life. The Ministry of Health and

Social Services reported 679 suicides (559 men, 91 women and 29 children). The children who committed suicide include 18

boys and 11 girls.

3. What have the government done to alleviate the mental health problem?

The Deputy Minister expressed her appreciation to the CCN for orienting religious and other community leaders on mental

health. She said that ‘once empowered with knowledge and skills; churches can meet the government and all health service

providers half-way as they can educate the congregations and make sure they understand mental health conditions, empower

those with mental illnesses on how to live positively and provide support to family members and friends of those dealing with

mental health problems.’

The acting Secretary General of the Council of Churches, Mr Ludwig Beukes said that the ‘church is close to the people and

people feel more comfortable to talk to a Pastor about their daily challenges. The workshop is therefore an opportunity for

stakeholders working in the community to be capacitated with knowledge on mental health and the increasing rate of suicide in

the country. The workshop will also enable church leaders to talk about mental health and suicide in their churches, sermons,

bible study groups, youth groups and increase access to mental health care for those in their churches.’

The Ministry of Health and Social Services made a presentation on mental health and suicide prevention and provided guidance

on the role of community leaders in providing psycho-social support. CCN intends to train more religious leaders and

eventually establish a network of mental health coaches in their member churches.

Source: https://www.afro.who.int/countries/namibia/news/making-mental-health-priority-amongst-community-leaders-

4. What Social and Psychological impact does mental health have on one’s livelihood?

The stigma of mental illness is present in society and internalized by people. This stigma has been a barrier for several people

seeking mental health help. The extent of mental health stigma has several implications for employment and society. Although

the specific economical cost of mental illness varies by culture and nation. Untreated mental illness has significant social

implications. The World Health Organization estimated in 2001 that mental health disorders cost affluent countries between

three and four percent of their Gross Domestic Production (GDP). Besides the economy, mental health issues also affect

society in the form of maternal depression. It may raise the chance of low birth weight, childhood health issues, and

“incomplete vaccination” in newborns, which are risk factors for premature death.

5. In conclusion what can as citizen of Namibia do to combat the issue of mental health in our community?

Public health professionals play a key role in tackling the factors that adversely influence mental health. Addressing a

community’s well-being requires a comprehensive approach. To promote mental health, public health professionals find ways

to prevent mental disorders, improve access to mental health services, support recovery, and lower the rate of death, disease,

and disability among those with mental illnesses. They also work to increase awareness of mental health issues and reduce

stigmas, so people can get the treatment they need. Finally, they strive to eliminate health disparities and provide equitable

access to health services.

Public health professionals develop programs that address the factors that contribute to poor mental health or focus on

intervention methods known to foster good mental health. Identifying risk factors for mental illness, such as trauma and

chronic health conditions, plays an important role in implementing prevention programs. Identifying risk factors also allows for

early intervention. Examples of prevention and intervention strategies that can promote mental health include early childhood

programs, programs for older adults, and violence prevention initiatives.

Sources: https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/mental-health-public-health/