Many activists advocate for mental health and wellness. The youth, especially, representing their fellow youth is a beat worth cheering for. Many young people are recognizing the seriousness of this problem today and are grabbing the bull by the horns.
Liliane Niyigena, founder of Mentale, says that the mental health of the world’s population is more critical now than ever due to the different challenges we are facing, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, economic crises, wars, conflicts, among others. .
Mentale is a platform that raises awareness of mental health and provides online and/or in-person support for screening and diagnosis of mental health disorders.
Lillian Niyigena’s platform raises awareness of mental health. Photos/Courtesy
“Mental health issues like suicide, depression, drug abuse and others have been on the rise in both young people and adults, and it’s up to us to make sure this is addressed,” she says.
Also, given that her educational background is in mental health, Niyigena thought it was worth putting her skills and knowledge at the service of society.
She is a professionally registered mental health nurse. When she started this platform, she wanted to provide and access mental health information and services anywhere, anytime.
For example, his project aims to help young people in schools understand more about mental health and get all the basic information about mental health, mental illness and how to help themselves or other students who have mental health problems such as first aid before getting professional help.
“This project focuses on raising awareness of youth mental health. I thought so because I have always been passionate about the mental health of children, adolescents and young people. Also, today, young people are documenting a greater number of mental health problems, so helping my young brothers and sisters would be my great achievement,” she says.
Mental health, not a western concept
The activist says that it is necessary to change our mentality and understand the seriousness of the threat that the mental health crisis represents.
“Some people think that mental health is a Western concept and not an African disease. This is due to our past culture where most of our ancestors thought that mental illness was mainly related to witchcraft or demonic possession. Changing those past perceptions or beliefs has been difficult, but it is a journey. I think we need more people in the mental health sector and government institutions to contribute more in advocacy and awareness, to reach as many Rwandans as possible,” he says.
Niyigena points out how important it is for everyone to understand that most people struggle with mental health at one time or another, and therefore it shouldn’t be something to be mortified about.
“First of all, I want people to know that we all face challenges related to mental health and that it is just as important as physical health. We should seek help for anxiety or depression just as we do for malaria or colds. Additionally, it is important for everyone to get basic mental health information for better mental health wellness, stigma prevention, and help-seeking,” he shares.
In order for his project to impact many young people, he has been visiting schools to reach as many young people as possible at once.
“We provide them with mental health information that is applicable in their daily lives and can also be used to help others.”
She plans to establish this program in a large number of schools in Kigali and in the interior of the country, and is strategizing to make it an ongoing program that will not only include general education sessions, but also more individual professional support for students with different learning problems. mental health.
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