The statistics are mind-blowing – and have had a fair amount of media play. Mental health is crucial for individual well-being, enabling people to navigate life’s challenges and contribute meaningfully to society, according to the World Health Organisation. Depression and anxiety alone affect a staggering one in four citizens in Uganda. For Uganda, the problem has been compounded by substance abuse, especially of alcohol and marijuana. The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to loss of livelihoods in employment, businesses, and death of loved ones, increased anxiety, and depressive disorders.
What has not been discussed extensively is the cost mental disorders are having on our economy. The Lancet Global Health, a science journal, estimates that poor mental health will cost about $6 trillion by 2030 in global productivity. While there are no official figures on how much Uganda loses due to mental health issues, there are observable tell-tale signs. At the most basic level, individuals with mental illness will likely dropout of school or have poor educational outcomes, costing the country future human resources. Uganda police annual reports of 2019, 2020, and 2021 have shown a steady increase in deaths by suicide cases and a growing number of people attempting to take their own lives.
On employment, it diminishes an individual’s productivity at work. Individuals struggling with mental health disorders find it hard to concentrate, innovate, and maintain regular work schedules. In towns and peri-urban centers across Uganda, young people drowning in substance abuse, which, according to the media, accounted for over 20% of Butabika mental hospital’s admission in 2022, have increased – and many are hardly able to engage in any productive work.
Unable to work or sustain a livelihood, many of those affected cannot afford to seek medical attention or services of a counselor. The cycle goes on – low productivity or inability to sustain work deepens poverty levels and more anxiety – ultimately costing the economy.
Sheila Nakkazi
Government funding has not matched up the challenge. Reports indicate that just under one percent of the Ministry of Health budget is directed towards mental health issues. Last August, practitioners called for mental health budget to be increased, expressing fears that continued underfunding could make the bad situation worse.
Dedicating more resources to mental health issues is a smart investment into the country’s future with multiple socio-economic benefits. Speak Your Mind, a global CSO led campaign on mental health, showed in a 2020 report that investment in mental health benefits are not just financial as they spillover to social communities, businesses, and the economy. Stronger families, increased productivity, and happier citizens are some of the outcomes.
Hospitals such as Butabika mental hospital should be capacitated to attend to more case as and when the need arises. Reports of mental patients being turned away because the hospital is full are embarrassing. Uganda should quickly address the scarcity of mental health specialists’ issue – there are only 53 psychiatrists in the country, primarily concentrated in urban areas.
Special attention should be paid to students dealing with mental health issues as it not only impacts academic performance, but also sees some students waste away in drugs and substance abuse. Some schools have been found to punish students for mental health-related challenges instead of providing the necessary support. There are instances where students have been expelled for attempting suicide instead of receiving the professional help they need.
Widespread awareness campaigns in workplaces, schools, and public spaces are critical. Disseminating accurate information to dispel myths and reduce stigma can encourage more individuals to seek timely help. Government intervention is paramount through subsidization or provision of free community-based mental health care. Financial incentives and scholarships could encourage students to pursue careers in psychiatry, thereby addressing the shortage of mental health professionals and ensuring adequate support for those in need.
For communities and urban authorities, maintaining urban green spaces, community gardens, or public parks intact is important. Studies have shown that going to a public park often help one fight stress, depression, and anxiety. It also cuts on the need to take medication for the same.
This article was first published in the Daily Monitor on October 25, 2023