Mental Health In African Perspective

INTRODUCING MENTAL HEALTH IN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES

The book, "MENTAL HEALTH IN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES" is a bold step in demystifying and localizing the core-points in mental illness (disorders) and emphasizes that people who manifest certain forms of behaviours categorized as madness (mental illness) in the African context, have earlier shown some patterns of behaviours that seemed abnormal to their family, friends and work place, but were neglected, misunderstood and rejected.

There are certain obvious reasons for differential approaches to handling the vulnerable persons which centre on the non-recognition of Africa-trained mental health professionals in UK. They understand the body-language, speech patterns, and the sick-role behaviour of Africans. On the other hand, Africans require the therapeutic intervention that recognizes their spirituality and culture-oriented traditional beliefs which Cognitive Behaviour Therapy as a single therapy approach may not handle. However, children and adolescents who have no exposure to African tradition are prone to another pattern of mental disorders due to the double-bind and conflicting information they get from their schools, parents and society. These are well elucidated in the book “Mental Health in African Perspective”

PURPOSE OF BOOK:

The purpose of this handbook is to trigger and wet the reading appetite of Africans and thereby enable them to become interested in learning about certain helpful guidelines on the real and unbiased meaning of mental health, mental well-being and mental illness. 

The book emphasizes on the breaking down of cognitive and psycho-spiritual strongholds that negatively impinge on people’s ability to inculcate and utilize mental health facilities in diversified cultural setting. 

The 2nd and 3rd Sections of the book imply that misdiagnosis quite often manifest when the Mental Health Assessor who has no knowledge or the mind-set to respect Cultural factors in diverse society intervenes in a matter. For instance, the Police arrested a young man who busted into speaking in tongues when he had a bad dream as he was on a nap in the Train. People in the train called the police because they feared the man was in sane. His arrest fueled and confirmed the negative image that appeared in his short dream hence he intensified his speaking in tongue instead of calmly telling the officers and the Mental Health Assessors the reality of his circumstances. 

There are reports of such cases ending up in psychiatric units, and such persons get damaged with anti-psychotic drugs. Thus in most situations where misdiagnosis, racism, and negative outcomes are recorded, one would infer lack of regards to individual internal state of mind, disregard to cultural beliefs and intolerance.

Section 4 of my book “Mental Health in African Perspective” offers a short-term but comprehensive and affordable approach to tackling mental health challenges among Africans. This entails giving more recognition to studies in Psychology, training and utilizing Guidance Counsellors in the knowledge and application of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Talking therapies to de-coded symptoms in Nigeria and Africa generally.

RELEVANCE OF BOOK:

There are obvious evidences that the study and understanding of cultural factors in mental health in Africa attract very little or no attention. This is due to the non-documentation of age-long traditional approaches to mental health care, and the exaggerated and false beliefs about what mental health and mental illnesses really mean and entail. 

There is thus resultant unwarranted sympathy, scorn, isolation, stigmatization and degradation of people who one way or the other expresses some wish for attention, and hence Africans are known to be sceptical and really conservative towards presenting cases to mental health professionals. 

In addition to the implicated relevance of traditionally-held beliefs (strong-holds), cultural and traumatic factors in the causes, understanding and treatment of Mental Health and Mental Illnesses among Africans, the Book emphasizes that they relate directly or indirectly to 75% of health problems presented to Doctors. These are inexhaustive, but the following and many more are very frequent among Africans: Blurred vision Menstrual pains psychosomatic symptoms in the forms of migraine headache, pains in the head, stomach aches and pain heaviness in the head and body nightmares in the form of spirit possession, and numerous symptoms for which the African would require  acceptable meanings. 

For the fact that these symptoms trigger illness feelings, drugs and the doctor’s clinic are often consulted rather than the mental health professionals. Read this book to understand that "miracles" do occur when the mind-set is fully prepared to welcome the Spirit-led solution to human distress. The functional trinity of Body, Mind, and Spirit need to be recognized and respected in handling both physical and mental disorders for Holistic health. The Health Insurance could be lavishing lots of funds on the medicalization of human distress symptoms (with the deadly consequences on the organs of the body). 

This book thus becomes more relevant to Psychologists, Pastors and mental health students and professionals in their study of ethno-psychiatry. The current recognition of the impacts of neglect and lack of appropriate understanding of the psycho-spiritual meanings of African patterns of presenting mental health challenges strengthens the need for this book. It exposes certain unique features that reflect on African Psychology, such as the influences of superstition, inferiority complex triggered by colonialism and slavery, and the irresponsive leadership among the political elites.

Thus in addition to the facts about African cosmology, these influences that shaped African Psychology created a great dichotomy in ethno-psychiatry as far as Africa and the black race is concerned. The major fact is that symptoms of mental disorders are universal all over the world, but the causes and patterns of presenting them differ with culture. Hence the formulation of assessment processes, articulation of treatment modalities and expectations of outcomes must be culture-conscious.

EXPECTATIONS FROM THE BOOK:

As a corrective measure, mental illnesses are hereby portrayed as the effects of those powerful negative forces that create unwarranted conflicts, self-destructive thoughts and inability for self-understanding, self-control and self-management in vulnerable persons they inhibit Spirituality from taking the rational root in the humanity inhibit happiness and joy they de-motivate the Entrepreneurial spirit inhibit vulnerable persons from shedding excess luggage (such as unforgiveness) and stubbornness and they install hopelessness, low self-esteem and lack of/excess confidence in the human spirit. 

A SUMMARY:

This book, "Mental Health in African Perspective", apart from being solution-based is a very bold step in demystifying mental disorders in order to illustrate and localize the points that: 

Mental health and Mental illness are expressions that denote levels of difficulty in adjustment to distress and distress conditions. It is more of an optimal level of thinking, feeling, and relating to others.

There is no one test that definitively indicates whether someone has a mental illness. Health-care practitioners diagnose a mental disorder by gathering comprehensive medical, family, and mental-health information.

Mental illness is not the opposite of mental health as both conditions overlap in 1 out of every 4 persons in the society. 

It affects all classes of persons despite age, education, socio-economic status, and profession.

Mental illness refers to all of the diagnosable mental disorders and is characterized by abnormalities in thinking, feelings, or behaviours. Thus, moods, thoughts, behaviours, or use of substances that interfere with a person`s ability to function well physically, socially, at work, school, or home are characteristics of mental illness.

Culture, tradition and societal norms are very relevant in determining mental health and illnesses. 

Knowledge about mental health and mental illnesses has undergone various advancements with the vast events following the end of the Second World War, the continuous decline in belief on drugs and the medical model, and growth in psychology and psychological medicine.

Individuals with mental illness are at risk for a variety of challenges, but these risks can be greatly reduced with treatment, particularly when it is timely.

Medications may play an important role in the treatment of a mental illness, particularly when the symptoms are severe or do not initially adequately respond to psychotherapy.

This book is very important as a Self-help Book, and as a corrective measure which portrays mental disorders as the effects of those powerful negative forces (eg, fear of failure) that create unwarranted inner conflicts, self-destructive thoughts and inability for self-control, self-understanding, and self-management in vulnerable persons. They inhibit spirituality from getting rooted in the humanity inhibit happiness and joy.  Symptoms of Mental disorders de-motivate the entrepreneurial spirit inhibit vulnerable persons from shedding excess luggage (such as unforgiveness) and stubbornness and install hopelessness, low self-esteem and lack of/excess confidence in the human spirit. 

This book pin-point hidden factors in African tradition and exposes the need for mass enlightenment that could trigger the lust in Africans to understand and invest in mental health and well-being as a pre-requisite to technological advancement.

Healthcare professional would need this book to understand the endemic influences cultural factors wield in the case formulation, therapeutic interventions and outcome of clinical reasoning and judgements. Students of Psychology, Mental Health Nursing, Social Work, Medical Doctors and Psychologists who are not African-oriented would definitely benefit from reading the book thoroughly.