Challenges of Mass Media Interventions Regarding Mental Health: A Community Exemplar in Kampala Uganda

The Community Psychiatric Support Organization is a registered voluntary not for profit NGO in Uganda working to promote mental health by empowering the community to care for the mentally ill. Mental illness occurring in Uganda is often ‘explored’ or ‘explained’ from non-medical perspectives, including social, cultural, and/or religious belief systems. Over the last two years, the organization has conducted sixty six (66) live radio mental health education talks and twenty six (26) live television talk shows in an effort to reduce stigma towards mental illness. Such campaigns within developing contexts have not be examined extensively, although, in other sectors such as health promotion and disease prevention, it has been found to be highly successful. The retrospective document review of personal journaled materials related to the mental health messaging (radio and television) and responses between 2013 and 2015. These journals captured responses by callers, which were then analyzed using a content analysis methodology. Through this effort, it was recognized that there is an appetite of the public for necessary and appropriate information about mental health in their community. It has also shown the need to more efforts to share information and knowledge about mental health in a manner which reaches the public to reduce misperceptions and misinformation in a manner which is culturally appropriate and social acceptable. This is a major challenge in a context of development which faces various levels of literacy, embedded social/cultural beliefs, religious strengths, and a lack of resources to address mental illness

The lived experience of families with a mentally ill family member

The study of the lived experience of families with a mentally ill family member involved seven family members who had come to visit their mentally ill relatives in the mental Hospital. The major objective was to explore the lived experience of families with a persistent1 mentally ill family member. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive-phenomenological design, participants were purposively sampled and data was collected using a tape recorder. Colaizzi’s phenomenological approach for data management was then employed. The study revealed that family members held misconceptions about mental illnessand described care as a contractual obligation. They lived in misery as the patients’ behavior was intolerable, sadistic, exasperated, and embarrassing. Although medication proved helpful, they had to plead with the patient to take it. Their homes were discriminated2 which made them desperate and disappointed. Patients had bizarre complaints, could vanish, which forced family members to be vigilant all the time and made them feel guilty if anything happened to the patient. Family revenue was devastated and admission of the patients was considered a liberty to the family members and a breakfrom the monotonous, tiresome and costly collection of medication from the hospital. Family members were pessimistic, and always in dilemma. Living with a mentally ill family member was considered a prime issue in the affected families. The study recommended health education to the community,institute programs to screen patients, counseling, and community patients’ follow up. There was need to initiate home based income generation through micro financing

The Lived Experience of Families with a Mentally Ill Family Member

Did you know what it feels like living with and caring for a mentally ill family member? If you have, then this book offers you an opportunity to know similar others’ experiences. If you have never known how it feels, then this is the right book for you. Most of the diseases that people suffer from make the patient to suffer with pain and discomfort. For mental illness, the family member suffer more than the patient they are taking care of. The families would prefer losing their loved one to death than losing him to mental illness. When the person is lost to death others comfort and sympathize with them, but when the person is lost to mental illness they yield stigma, shame, embarrassment and humiliation. This is least expected for a disease like mental illness that is not contagious. The more one gives critical attention to details of care of the patient, the more one suffers stress and sometimes depression as a result of caring for the mentally ill patient. This book provides mental health workers and students a comprehension of family members\u27 experience and ultimately inspire them to offer holistic care to mentally ill patient and the afflicted families. Enjoy your reading