Date: 09/10/2003
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Mental Health Day
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG: MENTAL HEALTH DAY, Johannesburg, 9 October 2003
Greetings
Mental health is a serious problem the world over and this led to the World Health Organisation dedicating an entire World Health Report to mental health in 2001. WHO estimates that mental and behavioural disorders account for 12% of the global burden of disease.
The WHO Report called for a public health approach to mental health. Severe mental health problems often have serious economic consequences, which in turn leads to under- or unemployment and poverty. Not only is poverty related to mental health problems but so too are other social problems such as racism and violence against women - which we in South Africa know much about.
Globally 5,8% of men and 9,5% of women will experience depressive symptoms in a 12-month period. Unipolar depression is currently the fourth leading cause of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). It is estimated that by 2020 the burden of depression will increase and become the second leading cause of disability-adjusted life years. Currently the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years is lower respiratory infections followed by perinatal conditions.
We also know that depression and suicides are related. Many people try to kill themselves because they are depressed. Socio-economic stresses, including unemployment, also correlate with the suicide rate as does alcohol abuse and easy access to toxic substances and firearms.
The overall prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders amongst children ranges between 10 and 20% and developing and developed countries appear to have surprisingly similar rates.
Based on international estimates it is probable that up to 15% of the youth in South Africa suffer from mental health problems. A key problem among the youth is alcohol abuse. Another substance that is abused is tobacco, but recent surveys show that with tobacco control measures we have put in place, the incidence of smoking amongst the youth is declining. This includes banning of tobacco promotion and advertising, prohibition of smoking in public areas and increased tax on tobacco products.
As the Department of Health, we instituted a commission of inquiry into possible human rights abuses at our psychiatric institutions and one recommendation was that we amend the mental health legislation. We completely overhauled our mental health legislation by enacting the Mental Health Care Act in November last year. The Act provides for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of persons who are mentally ill and strongly entrenches the rights of patients admitted to psychiatric institutions. Training on the orientation and implementation of the Act has been done in all nine provinces.
We also took a decision to de-institutionalise care for people with mental illnesses and build up community-based care. A pilot de-institutionalisation project, implemented in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, was evaluated and the results were shared with other provinces. Implementation has been encouraged across provinces, with particular emphasis on increasing community resources to ensure adequate care.
For this year, we have allocated funding of R1, 08 million to NGOs for the development of care, treatment and rehabilitation for mentally ill people in community settings. This includes financial support for a toll free line (0800 567567) that provides counselling and referral for people in need of care. While this line will run for six months, we will assess its effectiveness and consider further funding.
One key intervention was the decision to integrate mental health into the health system, in particular the primary health care system. Because we believe that good health includes good mental health, our health workers are trained to screen for mental health problems, do basic counselling and refer if needed. A training guide for nurses has been developed and implemented to ensure that our nurses - who are our front line health workers - are properly trained in basic mental health skills.
We launched policy guidelines on child and youth mental health. These guidelines assist provinces to develop programmes that embrace an intersectoral approach other departments such as Education and Social Development. Our Health Promoting Schools Initiative and Life Skills programmes are part of the compendium of strategies to empower children and the youth to deal with life's challenges. These strategies also address the challenge of para-suicide and suicide as well. A school-based suicide prevention programme is at its final stage of being piloted in the Free State and lessons will be shared with all provinces for the development of similar programmes.
Government has also developed a strategy to strengthen social cohesion. This is part of our moral regeneration strategy. We recognise the dangers of alcohol abuse especially amongst the youth and we are currently consulting stakeholders on this issue. One of our interventions will be to put warning labels on all containers of alcoholic beverages much like we have done with tobacco products. A related measure must be to reduce the amount of advertising of alcohol - especially those that target the youth.
The theme for this year: "Behavioural and emotional disorder in children and adolescents" give us an opportunity to focus on this many issues affecting children and adolescents. I would like to encourage all of us as parents to know signs of teenage depression and other mental problems that may affect our children.
In collaboration with the South African Society of Psychiatrists, the Department has developed information and education materials that will assist people to get appropriate information about mental so that we are able to deal with high levels of anxiety and depression.
Let us encourage people to use this number - 0800 567567 - for help.
Source: Department of Health
(http://www.doh.gov.za)
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Mental Health Day
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG: MENTAL HEALTH DAY, Johannesburg, 9 October 2003
Greetings
Mental health is a serious problem the world over and this led to the World Health Organisation dedicating an entire World Health Report to mental health in 2001. WHO estimates that mental and behavioural disorders account for 12% of the global burden of disease.
The WHO Report called for a public health approach to mental health. Severe mental health problems often have serious economic consequences, which in turn leads to under- or unemployment and poverty. Not only is poverty related to mental health problems but so too are other social problems such as racism and violence against women - which we in South Africa know much about.
Globally 5,8% of men and 9,5% of women will experience depressive symptoms in a 12-month period. Unipolar depression is currently the fourth leading cause of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). It is estimated that by 2020 the burden of depression will increase and become the second leading cause of disability-adjusted life years. Currently the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years is lower respiratory infections followed by perinatal conditions.
We also know that depression and suicides are related. Many people try to kill themselves because they are depressed. Socio-economic stresses, including unemployment, also correlate with the suicide rate as does alcohol abuse and easy access to toxic substances and firearms.
The overall prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders amongst children ranges between 10 and 20% and developing and developed countries appear to have surprisingly similar rates.
Based on international estimates it is probable that up to 15% of the youth in South Africa suffer from mental health problems. A key problem among the youth is alcohol abuse. Another substance that is abused is tobacco, but recent surveys show that with tobacco control measures we have put in place, the incidence of smoking amongst the youth is declining. This includes banning of tobacco promotion and advertising, prohibition of smoking in public areas and increased tax on tobacco products.
As the Department of Health, we instituted a commission of inquiry into possible human rights abuses at our psychiatric institutions and one recommendation was that we amend the mental health legislation. We completely overhauled our mental health legislation by enacting the Mental Health Care Act in November last year. The Act provides for the care, treatment and rehabilitation of persons who are mentally ill and strongly entrenches the rights of patients admitted to psychiatric institutions. Training on the orientation and implementation of the Act has been done in all nine provinces.
We also took a decision to de-institutionalise care for people with mental illnesses and build up community-based care. A pilot de-institutionalisation project, implemented in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, was evaluated and the results were shared with other provinces. Implementation has been encouraged across provinces, with particular emphasis on increasing community resources to ensure adequate care.
For this year, we have allocated funding of R1, 08 million to NGOs for the development of care, treatment and rehabilitation for mentally ill people in community settings. This includes financial support for a toll free line (0800 567567) that provides counselling and referral for people in need of care. While this line will run for six months, we will assess its effectiveness and consider further funding.
One key intervention was the decision to integrate mental health into the health system, in particular the primary health care system. Because we believe that good health includes good mental health, our health workers are trained to screen for mental health problems, do basic counselling and refer if needed. A training guide for nurses has been developed and implemented to ensure that our nurses - who are our front line health workers - are properly trained in basic mental health skills.
We launched policy guidelines on child and youth mental health. These guidelines assist provinces to develop programmes that embrace an intersectoral approach other departments such as Education and Social Development. Our Health Promoting Schools Initiative and Life Skills programmes are part of the compendium of strategies to empower children and the youth to deal with life's challenges. These strategies also address the challenge of para-suicide and suicide as well. A school-based suicide prevention programme is at its final stage of being piloted in the Free State and lessons will be shared with all provinces for the development of similar programmes.
Government has also developed a strategy to strengthen social cohesion. This is part of our moral regeneration strategy. We recognise the dangers of alcohol abuse especially amongst the youth and we are currently consulting stakeholders on this issue. One of our interventions will be to put warning labels on all containers of alcoholic beverages much like we have done with tobacco products. A related measure must be to reduce the amount of advertising of alcohol - especially those that target the youth.
The theme for this year: "Behavioural and emotional disorder in children and adolescents" give us an opportunity to focus on this many issues affecting children and adolescents. I would like to encourage all of us as parents to know signs of teenage depression and other mental problems that may affect our children.
In collaboration with the South African Society of Psychiatrists, the Department has developed information and education materials that will assist people to get appropriate information about mental so that we are able to deal with high levels of anxiety and depression.
Let us encourage people to use this number - 0800 567567 - for help.
Source: Department of Health
(http://www.doh.gov.za)
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