City of Rest held a one day seminar for Journalists on mental health, and substance abuse
City of Rest has on last Friday 13 November held a one day seminar for Media practitioners from both print and electronic on the theme: Mental Health, and Substance Abuse.
City of Rest is a Christian Non Governmental Organization Rehabilitation Center for young people who are grappling with addictions and/or mental illness. Subsequent sensitization and awareness raising programmes will be organized in the North, South, and Eastern region it is revealed. The one held in the Western area, journalists were opportune to be taught on mental health, and substance abuse and it its devastating impact on youths in our society. Knowledge based issues on mental heath and precautionary measures, media ethics and how to report on people with mental disabilities were expatiated on in details.
Mental health consultant of City of Rest, Heleen van den Brink, briefed journalists that the idea of caring for people with mental retardate was conceived in 1985.Since then, the organization has been advocating for land with the government, not until 1996 it was formally established at it present location. But due to the increase in the number of people afflicted with schizophrenia, the organization has acquired a three acre piece of land at Grafton. According to van den Brink, mental health problems and substance abuse is on the increase in Sierra Leone, especially among young people. In her opening brief to journalists, she highlighted that mental illness affects our emotion, our thoughts, and our behaviors. She also added that, “just as our bodies can get sick, so our minds.” ‘We call this mental illness’, she confirmed.
Mental health and substance abuse is a worrying problem in post conflict Sierra Leone. According to WHO report, there are approximately 200 million people afflicted with mental health retardation in the world all over; out of that figure it is also estimated that about 450,000 people are said to be affected with the illness in Sierra Leone.
Drug abuse and post traumatic depression are said to be the main causes for this health menace. Post conflict Sierra Leone is said to be facing a lot of health problems due to drug abuse among young people .Van der Brink said that “most of the young people in Sierra Leone started abusing drugs at an age of 10-18; and that the human brain is fully developed at the age of 23, and there is every likelihood that drug use damages the brain before it matures”, she explained. She also added that, Marijuana smoking increase the possibility of mental illness by 40 percent, and every ten women suffer post-natal depression.
According to Mr. Abdulai Sefoi, the Administrative Assistant, when asked by journalists who benefited from the workshop about their working partners, he said that City of Rest works with journalists, Government of Sierra Leone and the Drug and Enforcement Agency. He also intimated to journalists that farmers who used to grow useful crops are now moving to grow that of Marijuana (Diamba), because it is believed to be more profitable.
He also added that the role of the journalist is to help popularize the Drug Enforcement Law so that government and stakeholders would grow more interest in taking care of people with mental health problem.
Crissa Nelson, a journalist working with Faith Alliance Against Slavery (FAST), spoke on the role of the media and ethics in reporting on people with schizophrenia. She said, stigma or man’s sign of shame or disapproval shown by the rejection of others; treating a particular group of people as less important has got a negative impact on people with mental disability. She also pointed out that the media should not be used only as a place for preaching politics and amusement, but it should be used as a platform to preach on knowledge, causes, and solutions to mental health problems; and popularization of government policy on people with mental illness. Nelson further lamented that the percentage of mental people is far more than HIV/AIDS, but the issue of HIV is much talked about than mental illness. She also advised journalists that when reporting on mental illness patient they must not try not include his/her name, as it would have a negative impact on the mentally ill person.
Finally, Crissa Nelson further went on to conscience journalists on proper reporting and advocacy on mentally ill persons. She said in reporting on a mentally ill person, one must keep focused on the background of the person to determine the type of illness. If all efforts fail to obtain information on the mentally ill person the relatives of the said schizophrenic should be contacted to get tangible details. Journalists were also guided on how to write report on mentally ill persons. They informed journalists that clarity and the use of short sentences should be maintained. Quotes and accurate figures should be indicated to avoid misinformation.
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