STELLA T
Health experts in Rukungiri District are concerned over the rising cases of mental illnesses associated with depression, especially in this season.
According to Alban Natukunda, the Rukungiri District Health Educator, while in an interview with our reporter on Wednesday following the increased cases of mental illness, says the cases are being registered among both females and males, unlike previously when the bulk of the cases was dominant among males.
He says the mental health unit has registered a sharp rise in the number of patients visiting health facilities for mental health support recently.
Alban says men, the majority of whom are family heads, are being hit hard amidst the high cost of living which has rendered some unable to fend for their families, leading to gender-based violence (GBV) at home. He also attributes the cases to some diseases such as epilepsy, chronic malaria, and typhoid once they are left untreated, saying they can damage the brain.
He says that unlike women who open up and report cases of GBV, men tend to keep silent, adding that the accumulation of the burden leads to depression which in the long run can cause mental illness.
He says that the biggest burden of mental illness is seen among youth engaged in alcohol and drug abuse and warned that if the vice is unchecked, cases of mental illness will soar in the near future.
He notes that whereas the cases of mental health challenges are treatable, late referrals of patients by some family members who seek treatment from traditional healers and religious leaders pose threats to their recoveries.
Alban, however, says there is a need for one to understand themselves in terms of their weaknesses, strengths, and what they are capable of achieving to avoid the depression that leads to a mental health meltdown.
