scholarly journals The mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for sub-Saharan Africa.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Souci Frissa ◽  
Bazghina-werq Semo Dessalegn
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Stress Disorders ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Traumatic Stress Disorders ◽  
Sub Saharan

The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to mental health problems due to disease experience, physical distancing, stigma and discrimination, and job losses in many of the settings hardest hit by the pandemic. Health care workers, patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, children, women, youth, and the elderly are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Virtual mental health services have been established in many settings and social media is being used to impart mental health education and communication resources. This rapid review highlights mental health services across countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. More needs to be done to take these services to scale and ensure equity and efficiency.The impact of COVID-19 on mental health in sub-Saharan Africa could be immense, given the weak health care systems. Similar to the Ebola epidemic of 2014-2016, COVID-19 is expected to cause anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. Uptake of mental health care services is generally low, and communities rely on social resources. Hence, efforts to control the disease transmission should be contextualized. Low digital literacy, low smartphone penetration and limited internet connection make online mental health services a limited option for service delivery. Safeguarding social and cultural resilience factors and coping mechanisms is critical in the sub-Saharan African context. Mass media is a feasible way of providing social resources. Community health workers can be trained quickly to provide mental health education, screening and counselling services. Toll-free mental health helplines can be used to provide services to health care workers and those needing customized care. Mental health and psychosocial support services need to be integrated into the pandemic response and coordinated nationally. It is critical for these services to continue during and after the epidemic.

scholarly journals Management of mental health services in Malawi

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Kauye
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Gross Domestic Product ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Domestic Product ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Sub Saharan

Malawi is a country in sub-Saharan Africa bordering Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia. It has an area of approximately 118000 km2 and is divided into northern, central and southern regions. It has an estimated population of 13 million, 47% of whom are under 15 years of age and just 5% over 60 years. Its economy is largely based on agriculture, with tobacco being the main export. The projected growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for 2007 was 8.8%; GDP per capita was $284 per annum.

Toward the integration of comprehensive mental health services in HIV care: An assessment of psychiatric morbidity among HIV-positive individuals in sub-Saharan Africa

AIDS Care ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1193-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Olagunju ◽  
Olasimbo A. Ogundipe ◽  
Adebayo R. Erinfolami ◽  
Abiola A. Akinbode ◽  
Joseph D. Adeyemi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Sub Saharan

Prevalence of common mental disorders among Dutch medical students and related use and need of mental health care: a cross-sectional study

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxanne Gaspersz ◽  
Monique H.W. Frings-Dresen ◽  
Judith K. Sluiter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess common mental disorders and the related use and need for mental health care among clinically not yet active and clinically active medical students. Methods: All medical students (n=2266) at one Dutch medical university were approached. Students from study years 1–4 were defined as clinically not yet active and students from study years 5 and 6 as clinically active. An electronic survey was used to detect common mental disorders depression (BSI-DEP), anxiety (BSI-ANG), stress (4DSQ) and post-traumatic stress disorder (IES). The use of mental health services in the past 3 months and the need for mental health services were asked for. The prevalence of common mental disorders, the use and need for mental health services and differences between groups were calculated. Results: The response rate was 52%: 814 clinically not yet active and 316 clinically active students. The prevalence of common mental disorders among clinically not yet active and clinically active students was 54% and 48%, respectively. The use of mental health services was 14% in clinically not yet active and 12% in clinically active students with common mental disorders (n.s.). The need for mental health services by clinically not yet active and clinically active students was 52% and 46%, respectively (n.s.). Conclusions: The prevalence of probable common mental disorders are higher among clinically not yet active than among clinically active students. The need of mental health services exceeds use, but is the same in the two groups of students.

Depression, pregnancy, and HIV: the case to strengthen mental health services for pregnant and post-partum women in sub-Saharan Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M Stringer ◽  
Samantha Meltzer-Brody ◽  
Margaret Kasaro ◽  
Alison M Stuebe ◽  
Samantha Wiegand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

scholarly journals Depression: International intervention for a global problem

2004 ◽  
Vol 184 (5) ◽  
pp. 379-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike. J. Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Organization

Since 1948 the World Health Organization has had the challenging task of trying to achieve ‘the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health’ (World Health Organization, 1946). A central part of this work has involved assessing the extent of health-related problems in different parts of the world and advocating for the implementation of effective strategies to address these problems. For many years the World Health Organization has expressed concerns about the relatively low level of funding assigned to mental health services in many countries. Estimates based on data collected in 2000 show that in most of sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia there are fewer than one mental health nurse and one psychiatrist per 100 000 people (World Health Organization, 2001). Two papers produced with the support of the World Health Organization and published in this issue of the Journal strengthen the argument for additional funding for mental health services. In the first paper, üstün and colleagues (2004, this issue) summarise data on the relative impact of common health-related problems in different regions of the world, and in an accompanying paper Chisholm and others (2004, this issue) estimate the cost-effectiveness of different interventions for depression in these different areas.

scholarly journals HIV Case Management Support Service Is Associated with Improved CD4 Counts of Patients Receiving Care at the Antiretroviral Clinic of Pantang Hospital, Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Bismark Sarfo ◽  
Naa Ashiley Vanderpuye ◽  
Abigail Addison ◽  
Peter Nyasulu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Case Management ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Cd4 Counts ◽  
Sub Saharan

Background. Factors associated with individual patient-level management of HIV have received minimal attention in sub-Saharan Africa. This study determined the association between support services and cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) counts among HIV patients attending ART clinic in Ghana. Methodology. This was a cross-sectional study involving adults with HIV recruited between 1 August 2014 and 31 January 2015. Data on support services were obtained through a closed-ended personal interview while the CD4 counts data were collected from their medical records. Data were entered into EpiData and analyzed using Stata software. Results. Of the 201 patients who participated in the study, 67% (129/191) received case management support service. Counseling about how to prevent the spread of HIV (crude odds ratio (cOR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) (2.79 (1.17–6.68)), mental health services (0.2 (0.04–1.00)), and case management support service (2.80 (1.34–5.82))) was associated with improved CD4 counts of 350 cells/mm3 or more. After adjusting for counseling about how to prevent the spread of HIV and mental health services, case management support service was significantly associated with CD4 counts of 350 cells/mm3 or more (aOR = 2.36 (CI = 1.01–5.49)). Conclusion. Case management support service for HIV patients receiving ART improves their CD4 counts above 350 cells/mm3. Incorporating HIV case management services in ART regimen should be a priority in sub-Saharan Africa.

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