Topic: Expanding Mental Health Resources
Country: South Africa
Delegate Name: Alex Verheek
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All South Africa position papers GLIMUN 2018 committees
While about 1 in 4 people on average will experience a mental illness at least once in their lifetime, only recently has mental health been given the necessary attention from the medical community. Because of the lack of resources and attention given to mental health until recently, large portions of people will go untreated for their mental illness. Poor and untreated mental health can often affect your physical health as well. Possible reasons for the lack of treatment towards mental illness stem from a lack of trained professionals and the separation of traditional and mental healthcare systems. In addition, Mental illness disproportionately affects those who have experienced traumas such as discrimination and violence, and often mental healthcare is unavailable to the populations affected the most by these traumas.
Mental illness in South Africa had largely been ignored until The National Health Policy Guidelines for Improved Mental Health in South Africa were written, although these did not adhere to WHO policies on mental health. These policies were reformed with the Mental Care Act of 2002. A study by the Mental Health and Poverty Research Program indicates that at least 16.5% of the adult population in South Africa suffers from mental illness, and that on average, around 30% of South Africans were likely to suffer from a mental illness some time during their life. (This number is estimated to be higher because of stigma surrounding mental health in South Africa, specifically in tribal culture) Despite 16.5% of adults suffering from mental illness, only about 25% had received care. South Africa only has 1.58 psychological providers per 100,000 people. Although there is a wide array of causes for mental illness, the main causes in South Africa have been linked to trauma caused by exposure to violence, substance abuse, undermining of traditions in a rapidly urbanizing culture, and disease as a trigger. Mental health is not a main concern to South Africa due to other more pressing issues and a lack of resources.
South Africa recommends that WHO works to eliminate the social stigma surrounding mental illness though increased access to education on mental illness and to make access to mental healthcare more accessible to lower class and at-risk citizens, through increased numbers of psychological providers (Especially in lower class areas) and combination of traditional and mental healthcare systems in order for those who need treatment to be able to be treated.
