PEOPLE with mental illnesses form a section of society that is increasingly ignored in almost all policies. Attention has been given to people with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, cancer and malaria but mentally ill people are ignored by society.
Mental Illness is defined as disorders of the mental process that often result in diminished capacity for coping with the daily demands of life. Mental Illness affects the brain. It has been argued by the World Health Organization that 12.3% of the sick people in the world are mentally ill. This figure is expected to rise to 15% by 2020. Some people may not be interested in figures but such figures are an indication of a severe problem that needs to be tackled. It has been further argued that depression, one of the mental illnesses, will disable more people than HIV/AIDS, heart disease, traffic accidents and war combined. This calls for serious action from everyone.
Research has revealed that people’s perceptions about mental illness need to be corrected. Mental illnesses are diseases that affect the brain and can be handled if proper medication is administered. The Mental Health Treatment Act of 1964 gives the impression that it is criminal to become mentally ill. Laws are enacted for the benefit of all people concerned and not for the minority although this scenario can happen.
The stigma surrounding mental illness needs to be corrected if the country is to achieve meaningful development. Mentally ill people did not request for their illnesses. It is only that they have happened to fall sick just like any other person. Mentally ill people therefore deserve better treatment and care from all community members. It should be noted that mentally ill people can influence policy if given the chance to do so
The social exclusion of the mentally ill people exacerbates their poverty. Research has revealed that mental illness and poverty are linked. There is a likelihood of mentally ill people being poor because of their expenditure on mental illnesses. Mentally ill people and those caring for them spend not only on the illness itself, but also on the damage that may be caused as a result of the illness. I would rather that you link mental illness and macro-economics.
Therefore, government and the rest of the community need to come to the aid of such people. After all, such illnesses do not first knock at your door. They just attack without a warning.
The writer is a Research Assistant with BasicNeeds UK in Uganda
