mental health Archives

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

September 20, 2023September 20, 2023 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

July 13, 2023July 13, 2023 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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MSF Provides mental health support for refugees

June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 Healthtimes

In Tongogara refugee camp, a remote place in the south-east of Zimbabwe where over 15,000 people live, most of the refugees come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Burundi and Rwanda. While in their country of origin, most of the refugees experienced traumatic events including war, rape, torture and physical injuries, among other traumatic events that caused them to flee. By Staff Reporter For some of the refugees, the camp is the only home they have known for nearly 20 years, having been born and bred there. As…

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An uptown girl’s battle with drug and substance addiction

May 1, 2023May 5, 2023 Kuda Pembere

DRUG and substance abuse in Zimbabwe is usually synonymous with the ghetto streets. A dirty, shabby, red eyed male figure is probably the first picture one envisions when they think of drug users and abusers. By Kuda Pembere Well, here is a Newsflash, the drug crisis is equally endemic and deep rooted in uptown residential areas such as Borrowadale Brooke, Chisipite, Umwinsdale and others just as is the case with Ghettos like Mabvuku, Mbare, Fio, Kuwadzana, Mufakose and others. It also knows no gender as more and more girls are…

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100 graduate in Quality Rights for Mental Health training

March 29, 2023March 30, 2023 Kuda Pembere

A HUNDRED persons graduated after completing a Quality Rights training on mental health recovery and community inclusion which started in January this year. By Kudakwashe Pembere The training equips the general citizenry as well as professionals in the handling of persons with lived mental health experiences. It comes at a time when stigma stereotyping of people with psychosocial disabilties is still rife in the community and even some public health facilities. World Health Organization (WHO) Zimbabwe focal person for mental health Dr Debra Machando said the course is a recovered…

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Zimbabwe has highest Adolescents Suicide Ideation rate in Sub-Saharan Africa

February 11, 2023 Michael Gwarisa

DATA collected during a study on Suicide Ideation of Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa conducted by Regional Psychosocial Support Initiatives (REPSSI) shows that Zimbabwe has the highest rates of adolescents who think of committing suicide compared to other countries in the Sub-Saharan region. By Michael Gwarisa Suicidal ideation is when one thinks about killing him/herself. According to the report, a number of variables were associated with an increased risk for suicide ideation in the study. These include being older, being female, not being in school, being orphaned, not having a tap…

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‘Old Mental Health Act qualifies Zim for Special Initiative for Mental Health’

January 21, 2023March 27, 2023 Kuda Pembere

Zimbabwe is doing well compared to other countries by having a Mental Health Act which however dates back as far as 1996. By Kudakwashe Pembere Despite having legal guidelines to mental health issues, the country has had mental health strategies which seek to decentralise while augmenting to the existing mental health structures and this qualified Zimbabwe to be part of the 12 countries to work on a Special Initiative for Mental Health in the world. This was said by World Health Organisation Mental Health Technical Officer Dr Debra Machando on…

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Drug and Substance Use Grows in Zim Prisons and Among Officers

September 26, 2022 Patricia Mashiri

PRISON and Correctional Services facilities have become hot-spots for drug and substance abuse with indications that both correctional officers and inmates were engaging in illicit use of substances and harmful drugs, a top Zimbabwe Prisons and and Correctional Service (ZPCS) health expert has warned. By Patricia Mashiri To reduce the growing burden of drug and substance abuse in these institutions, the ZPCS, ZRP, Spotlight (Brotha 2 brotha initiative) and the National AIDS Council have come together to sensitize these communities on the effects of drug and substance use. Speaking to…

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Chipinge Broken Homes and Blended Families Give Rise Mental Health challenges in adolescents and children

September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

WHEN his parents divorced in 2016, Panashe Dzvivu (19) from Chipinge urban, was doing form three and preparing to write his Ordinary level (O level) examinations the following year. Following the divorce, his father went into neighbouring South Africa and never looked back, leaving him under the custody of his unemployed mother. After some time, he was forced to drop out of school due to non-payment of school fees. By Michael Gwarisa recently in Chipinge Panashe was forced to juggle between school and a part welding job to pay for…

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Economic Induced Absenteeism Weighs Heavily On the Mental Health of Rural Manicaland School Children

September 16, 2022September 16, 2022 Michael Gwarisa

For Alice Nyatsanga (16), school days are not something to cherish as they usually involve cat and mouse games with school authorities due to non-payment of school fees. To raise money for tuition, stationery and food, Alice is forced to join her grandmother in doing casual work in people’s fields as well as sell firewood by the road side along the busy Mutare/Masvingo Highway. By Michael Gwarisa in Manicaland Province “At times, when we open schools, it does not matter lessons would have started, I have to abandon school for…

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