Stigma Hinders The Fight Against Mental Illness

Failure by core family members and the community at large to accept and help people suffering from mental illness has negatively impacted proper treatment and management of the medical condition.

An addiction counsellor, Ms. Angela Muthoni, said many times that families and members of the community perceive mental illness as occasioned by witchcraft or as a contagious disease, thus prompting stigmatisation towards the affected person.

Muthoni said it was unfortunate that some family members distance themselves from those affected by mental illness, fearing contracting the disease. She explained to KNA that mental illness is not contagious, saying it is a health condition that needs proper management and monitoring just like any other illness.

The counsellor, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nurhemi Foundation, said in contemporary society, cases of mental illness have gone up, saying the situation worsens after a family fails to seek treatment for their affected kin.

‘Stigmatisation makes it difficult to accept those who suffer from mental disease, and as a result, community and family efforts to help those who are suffering from the condition are curtailed or abandoned,’ said the counsellor.

Muthoni noted that people, especially those with depression, are also reluctant to publicly admit that they have mental problems, adding that stigmatisation of people with mental diseases is also witnessed at workplaces.

‘People tend to hide their mental condition, especially when they are searching for jobs or even spouses, as they fear stigma and also being turned off,’ said Muthoni.

‘It’s also rare for a potential employer to employ a person with a mental disease due to fear of being disruptive or unproductive,’ added Muthoni, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in clinical psychology.

She noted that without moral support, among other forms of support, people with mental diseases usually fail to visit health facilities for treatment.

‘Families with people suffering from mental disease need to understand that the condition is just like any other long-term health condition, and one remains productive and stable as long as they have the support they need,’ noted Muthoni.

The CEO added that the affected families have a big role to play both financially and morally towards their mentally ill patients, like making sure the patient takes the prescribed medication properly and on time.

‘The families also need to ensure their patients attend clinics regularly and cooperate with doctors. This guarantees that they are aware of their responsibilities and understand the warning indications of the patient’s relapse,’ she said.

Muthoni further noted that without family support, a patient with mental disease is more likely to default to the clinic, not take prescribed medications, and have unmet feeding and hygiene needs.

‘Without proper care, the patient may be resentful of family members, be dangerous to themselves and others, cause harm, and even be fired from their job because they are unproductive or fail to follow the institution’s policies,’ said the counsellor.

She said some words used to refer to people with mental diseases perpetuated stigmatisation and called on members of the public to drop such names as madman, and lunatic, among others.

According to Muthoni, currently, the number of women affected by mental illness outnumbers that of men.

‘In contrast to men, women experience greater physical stress during significant life transitions like pregnancy and parenting. A mother struggles to put food on the table, and poverty also makes a woman more susceptible to stress and despair,’ said the counsellor.

She said, ‘Contrary to men, women are more vulnerable to discrimination and violence in African culture, which is reflected in employment trends and a preference for men in leadership roles, among other things.’

Muthoni urged people to take their mental health seriously, saying even the most intelligent and well-organised people can suffer from mental illness, and only those who are close to them can notice a change in their behaviour.

Meanwhile, the counsellor called upon the government to increase funding for mental health care. She noted that there is a shortage of psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health nurses working at both public and private hospitals.

‘Handling of the growing number of mental health cases is severely hindered by this. In addition, the stigma associated with studying subjects linked to mental health discourages many students from enrolling,’ said Muthoni.

The counsellor identified drug and substance abuse as a common cause of mental disease, saying the use of drugs and alcohol makes the symptoms worse for those who already have a mental illness.

‘A bipolar patient who uses drugs or alcohol acts out more violently and tampers with their medication,’ she added.

The Nurhemi Foundation, which has been in existence since 2020, has specialised in mentoring school-going children with the aim of easing stigma related to mental illness and making young people accept and help members of society affected by mental diseases.

‘We equip learners on how to handle and take care of mentally ill members of their families, schoolmates, and also those in the larger community,’ added Muthoni.

Source: Kenya News Agency