Tag: mental health

The Dark Psychology of Prophets: How Narcissistic Leaders Exploit Mental Health to Control Followers

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Have you ever wondered why a grown man, well-respected in his community, perhaps even holding a doctorate, would roll in the mud and eat grass at the instruction of a self-proclaimed prophet who never finished school? The answer often lies in the psychological forces at play — mental health issues that empower charismatic yet narcissistic religious leaders while disempowering and psychologically entrapping their followers. These leaders often display traits of narcissism, delusion, or sociopathy, while their congregants, whether through trauma bonding, spiritual manipulation, or Stockholm Syndrome, end…

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Africa CDC Hosts Mental Health Leadership Program In Harare to Address Growing Crisis in Africa

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A 10-day Mental Health Leadership Program has kicked off in Harare, Zimbabwe, amid growing calls for governments to prioritize mental health as a public health emergency, HealthTimes has learned. The training program, aimed at equipping leaders from various sectors with the necessary skills and capacity to address the growing burden of mental health-related challenges on the continent, is being hosted by the University of Zimbabwe in collaboration with the  Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC). The programme is supported by Wellcome Trust and will run from…

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High Rates of Depression Among GBV Survivors in Zimbabwe Raise Concern

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The prevalence of mental health disorders, particularly depression, among women who experience Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Zimbabwe is estimated to be around 77%. According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, nearly 40% of women and girls in Zimbabwe experience physical violence in their lifetime, while 12% of women aged 15-49 have suffered sexual violence. Speaking at a recent Data to Policy meeting in Harare, Mildred Mapani, an economist in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, and Small and Medium Enterprise Development, emphasized the need to…

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Drug Users Call for Affordable Public Rehabilitation Centres

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere, recently in Gweru Persons Who Use and Inject Drugs (PWUID) have urged the government to expedite the establishment of public rehabilitation centres, citing unaffordable costs at private facilities. Currently, there are no state-owned rehab centres, but the government claims to have identified suitable locations across all provinces for future facilities. During a two-day harm reduction workshop organized by SAYWHAT in Gweru, Jonathan, a participant and drug user, posed a question to Chipo Ziweva, the Mental Health Officer from the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s Bulawayo Provincial…

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The Church’s Role In Addressing Mental Health Challenges Amongst Believers

Chaplain Simbarashe Chenjerai

By Chaplain Simbarashe Chenjerai The world is facing a plethora of challenges such wars, famines, unemployment, droughts, cyclones among other ills. This has resulted in a number of public health challenges including mental health related woes. Over the years, there has been an increase in the incidence of drug and substance abuse, depression, anxiety among other mental health challenges. It is against this background that this article seeks to explore the role of the Church in addressing the growing mental health scourge. Christians and believers are not immune to mental…

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Rebuilt from Ruin: Overcoming the Psychological Scars of Injury

Healthtimes

For professional athletes and gym rats, a major injury is a brutal blow. It’s not just the throbbing pain and logistical nightmares, but the mental gut punch of being benched from your passion. After physio purgatory and a clean bill of health, you might think you’re good to go. But hold up – there’s often a mental hurdle to clear. Fear of re-injury or losing your skills can leave you stuck on the sidelines. This awfully often happens with the players in the Premier League in recent years, making managers…

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Household Food Insecurity Worries Pushed Mental Health Challenges During COVID-19 In Zimbabwe

Ntokozo Gudu

Rosalina Mutekedza (38), a single mother from Warren Park 1 in Harare is happy the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided and there is no more need for any restrictions and lockdowns to contain the spread of the diseases. By Ntokozo Gudu Above all, she is happy that now she can fend for her three children without any fear of breaking the law. She recalls how the COVID-19 induced lockdowns almost drive her into depression owing to uncertainty they brought. I was worried. During the first 21 days of the COVID-19, i…

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Drug Abuse Admissions Overwhelm Annex Psychiatric Hospital

Michael Gwarisa

Parirenyatwa Annex Hospital, the Psychiatric division of Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH), is currently admitting more drug and substance abusers compared to other mental health patients, officials have said. By Michael Gwarisa The development has disrupted care and service provision for other mental health conditions at the facility. Even though the facility at some point reduced the admissions to 10 adults at any given time at the back of ongoing renovations, data shows that more than half of bed occupants are drug and substance abusers. Speaking to HealthTimes, Parirenyatwa Group…

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How Climate Change is Fueling a Mental Health Crisis in Urban Zimbabwe

Taurai Nyandoro

By Taurai Nyandoro If there are any global issues that have garnered and evoked increased attention in the past few years, it has to be climate change and mental health. A growing body of evidence points to the connection between climate change and mental health. In fact, there is a link between climate change and mental disorders, including fear, anxiety, stress, insomnia, depression, lost self-efficacy, mood disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Urban residents in Zimbabwe are not immune to the impacts of droughts, floods, and heatwaves. Unsurprisingly, these changes…

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House of Arts Association Uses Art To Tackle Mental Health Issues in Youths

Ntokozo Gudu

A Youth-led community movement, House Of Arts Association has created a platform to raise awareness and combat mental health issues through art. By Nthokozo Gudu The organization believes that through art, the highest expression of self, an individual can rediscover themselves, free themselves, hence creating a world that heals everyone in any way possible, in the process spreading awareness on mental health to young people as it helps them build positive social, emotional,intellectual and communication skills. Recently House of Arts Association(HAA) in collaboration with the U.S Embassy, screened a documentary…

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