Norman Dururu
GWERU As the world commemorates Mental Health Awareness Month, a recent tragic incident in Kwekwe once again brought to light the harsh realities faced by individuals battling mental health challenges.
The untimely death of a homeless man who reportedly fell from a four-storey building in Kwekwe’s Central Business District recently, serves as a stark reminder of the stigma and discrimination that often plague those who are most vulnerable.
The heartbreaking story of the unidentified man, whose details remain shrouded in mystery even after his passing, sheds light on the systemic failures and lack of adequate care for individuals grappling with mental health issues.
It is a poignant reflection of the neglect and indifference that all too often characterises the treatment of those who are marginalised and overlooked.
Witnesses from the vicinity where the tragic incident occurred shared chilling accounts of the man expressing thoughts of ending his own life. The fact that such cries for help went unheeded underscores the urgent need for increased awareness, empathy, and support for individuals battling mental health challenges.
The man was grappling with profound mental health issues and forced to endure the harsh realities of life on the streets due to societal attitudes and prejudices.
The pervasive stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental health conditions not only exacerbate their suffering but can also have devastating consequences, as tragically illustrated in this case.
The cycle of neglect and mistreatment towards those with mental health challenges perpetuates a vicious cycle that often culminates in tragic outcomes such as suicide or even violence.
The insidious impact of misconceptions about mental illness cannot be overstated, as it serves as a catalyst for the stigmatisation and discrimination that push people with mental health conditions onto the streets, where they often find solace in drug and substance abuse as a means of coping with their pain and despair.
This vicious cycle perpetuates a life of extreme hardship and suffering for those already burdened with mental health challenges.
Of particular concern is the alarming rise in the number of women with mental illness who live on the streets, deprived of the psychological care, treatment, and support they urgently require.
The plight of these vulnerable individuals underscores the urgent need for comprehensive mental health services tailored to address the unique needs and experiences of women grappling with mental health challenges.
It is disheartening to note that health institutions and even family members are complicit in perpetuating the stigmatisation and discrimination faced by individuals with mental illness.
The use of derogatory terms such as “vagrant,” “vagabond,” “tramp,” “chibhonda,” “mupengo,” or “isibhonda” only serves to further marginalise and dehumanise those already struggling with mental health issues.
In Zimbabwe, suicide has become closely associated with mental health problems, with a worrying prevalence among adolescents aged 15 to 24 years, according to local health experts.
Midlands Provincial Medical Director Dr Mary Muchekeza said the Ministry of Health and Child Care has put in place mechanisms that protect, treat, rehabilitate and care for people experiencing mental illness including those living on the streets through collaborative efforts.
She said the restore mental well-being campaign, was last held in November 2023 by the mental health task force team comprising all relevant ministries and stakeholders.
“Mentally challenged individuals and homeless people were targeted, screened and given appropriate interventions,” she said.
Only random removals when the department is notified about a case needing their intervention have been done this year, she said.
Dr. Muchekeza said drugs and substance abuse are a second cause of mental disturbance after schizophrenia.
Clinical Psychologist Tarisai Dzuda Bere highlights the urgent need to address suicide as a major public health concern, emphasising that the world loses one person to suicide every 40 seconds.
This sobering statistic underscores the critical importance of developing targeted interventions and preventive measures to address the root causes of suicide and provide much-needed support to those in crisis.
Even in the absence of suicides, the resultant struggle against the symptoms of mental illness, social exclusion and the harsh realities of street life present numerous health challenges which predispose mentally ill people living on the streets to premature death or to a life of crime.
Apart from the homeless man, Kwekwe had another unfortunate incident on July 26 last year when a suspected mental patient Rodrick Hove (21) stoned a man in Kwekwe Central Business District who later died on admission to Kwekwe General Hospital.
After that incident, Kwekwe City Council rounded-up all homeless people.
Not to be left out, Gweru District made its own clean-up led by Queen of Peace, rounding up mentally challenged people on the streets of the provincial capital in reaction to the Kwekwe incident.
The Mental Health Awareness Month, which has been observed every year since 1949 in May is supposed to be an opportune time to fight stigma, provide support, increase awareness and remind individuals of the services and resources that exist to support the millions of people impacted by mental health issues.
The question that comes thereafter is whether government, families, civic society and other stakeholders are doing enough to assist and rehabilitate people with mental health challenges so that they do not become a threat to themselves and others.
The Kwekwe and Gweru roundup of people on the streets could have been steps in the right direction but were the campaigns sustained?
In Midlands Province, Queen of Peace Rehabilitation and Crisis Centre has become a critical partner to government on issues around mental rehabilitation, counselling and further management of communities under rehabilitation.
Queen of Peace director Dr. Stella Punungwe who is a public mental health specialist said many efforts are being taken by government to assist mentally challenged people on the streets.
She said the country has the Mental Health Act (1996) which has sections to deal with people roaming around the streets posing a danger to themselves or others but the challenge is on the implementation of the Act and limited funding to support activities.
“Government has also established a parliamentary committee and provincial and district taskforces in response to the substance abuse crisis,” she said.
Dr Punungwe however said the community was not doing enough to address the situation because there is widespread knowledge gap on mental health issues.
“This often results in stigma, social isolation and neglect of these people. Zimbabwe has sectors of people deep rooted in cultural and religious beliefs who often associate these people with evil spirits, avenging spirits and many other thoughts resulting in people shunning medical treatment.
“There seems to be no one responsible for taking people for assessment and shelter although the Mental Health Act clearly defines the responsible people,” she said.
She also added that due to Covid-19 pandemic made the general populace that mental health was ‘a real elephant in the house’.
“Mental Health is coming out of the shadows slowly with many organisations working in the community integrating mental health components in their programming.
“If resources would be pulled towards such a project to build and equip standard residential structures, fund projects and offer psychosocial support many lives would be saved,” she said.
More funds should be allocated to the Ministry of Health and Child Care which has a department of mental health at national level and officers at provincial and district levels to coordinate mental health services.
Mental health issues need to be addressed and stop people from shunning those afflicted by it.
Clemence Makuni, a psychology student at the Great Zimbabwe University said the streets are flooded with people who have signs of mental illness and society has often lacked care and empathy towards them often regarding them as people who are being punished for their past bad deeds or immorality.
“It is vital to humanise mental illness by recognising that it affects individuals from all walks of life,” he said.
HIV and AIDS used to be a big issue worldwide, but the country took a stance and HIV and AIDS began being spoken about in all sectors of the economy.
The same can be done for mental health and there is no better time to start this than the Mental Health Awareness Month.
