Mbalmayo: Journalists lectured on role of media in combating mental health.

The workshop was organised in the town of Mbalmayo, Nyong and So’o Division of the Centre Region. It held Tuesday October 9 under the theme: “It is time to prioritise mental health in the work place”.  

The workshop came on the heels of the commemoration of the World Mental Health Day, celebrated worldwide on October 10.

It was the Sub-Director of Mental Health at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Menguene Laure, who chaired the workshop.

Speaking during the workshop, the Psychiatrist re-echoed the role the media plays in fighting against mental health challenges.

She described the media as a very important actor, noting that: “We have observed the communication system and can testify that most of the time, it is bad information that the public is interested in”.

Mental health at work place

Participants during the workshop were advised to respect breaks, leave periods as well as avoid perfectionism at all cost in the work place.

Experts at the workshop said such practices could push co-workers into mental break down.

Dr Menguene disclosed that mental health is a psychological and social state of wellbeing that affects how “we think, feel, which can be caused by stress and pain which is too much for someone to handle”.

Commenting on the main causes of mental health, the psychiatrist disclosed that the illness is mostly linked to stress “which comes in so many forms either from work or from family members”.

She added that discomfort can also be a major problem leading to mental health issues. The expert said majority of people suffering from mental health issues have confessed that: “It came from their place of work, either from their bosses or from colleagues”.

According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, mental health problems is 5th to the 10th leading causes of disability.

The organisation says the illness accounts for 14% of the total global burden of the disease. The statistics shows that more than 450 million people worldwide suffer from mental and behavioral disorder. 

Data collected between 2021 and 2023 revealed that Cameroon recorded several cases of mental disorders with the most prevalent of which are psychosis, depression and drug use.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3256 of Friday October 11, 2024