The silent emergency: Rethinking mental health in a world on edge

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OPINION

By Deo Kalikumutima

The Mind: Humanity’s First Responder

When disaster strikes, our instinct is to count casualties, not quiet minds. Yet behind every collapsed building, flooded home, or burning forest is an invisible toll, the weight carried in the human psyche.

The 2025 World Mental Health Day theme, “Mental Health in Humanitarian Emergencies,” could not be more fitting for a world in constant flux. From wildfires in California and floods in Nigeria to landslides in Uganda’s Kitezi hills, the crises that shape our headlines also reshape our inner worlds.

According to the World Health Organisation, mental health is a state of mental well-being, a balance that allows individuals to cope with stress, realise their potential, and contribute to society. But when crisis becomes the global default, maintaining that balance becomes a form of survival. The brain, the most powerful technology nature ever created, is now under siege, battling the psychological aftershocks of a turbulent era.

A global phenomenon with local scars

The statistics are sobering. “Our World in Data” reports that one in three women and one in five men will experience mental health challenges in their lifetime. Yet for Uganda, these are not abstract figures; they are the stories of students, farmers, lawyers, health workers, and families quietly struggling behind closed doors.

The Ministry of Health revealed a 25% increase in mental health cases over the past four years.

To Uganda’s credit, there have been strides in the Mental Health Act Cap 308, toll-free counselling lines, and public awareness campaigns. But stigma persists. In some communities, mental illness is still whispered about as weakness or witchcraft.

While global frameworks emphasise access to services during emergencies, Uganda’s challenge is more foundational: recognising mental health as a public priority, not a private shame.

When the internet becomes a battlefield

If humanitarian crises test our resilience, the digital age tests our humanity. Technology, once hailed as the great equaliser, has also become a silent aggressor. Cyberbullying, misinformation, and digital shaming are eroding the mental well-being of Ugandans, especially the youth.

Under Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act Cap 96, cyber harassment is a crime, yet emotional redress remains elusive. A single tweet can destroy reputations or spark anxiety that lingers far beyond the trending hashtag.

From the malicious spread of false death announcements to the unauthorised release of private photos, digital cruelty has taken root in our virtual spaces.

Several Ugandan public figures have openly spoken about the emotional toll of false narratives and online harassment. Their experiences mirror a national problem. The Economic Policy Research Centre (2024) reported that excessive social media use among Ugandan youth is directly linked to anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Forty percent of young users reported stress related to online activity, a figure that should alarm us all.

Harvard University researchers warn that misinformation and cyber hostility are now matters of life and death. The digital sphere, unregulated and emotionally ruthless, has become a new frontier in Uganda’s mental health crisis.

The unspoken crisis in the workplace

Beyond individuals, entire organisations are quietly battling an epidemic of stress, burnout, and disconnection. The modern workplace, whether a courtroom, a corporate office, or a government ministry, has become an emotional pressure cooker. In a post-pandemic world defined by economic uncertainty and digital overload, mental health is no longer a private concern; it is a business risk.

Under Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks, mental health is now emerging as a strategic pillar. The “S” in ESG social responsibility demands that institutions safeguard the psychological well-being of their employees. Depression and anxiety cost the global economy over $1 trillion annually in lost productivity, according to the WHO. For Uganda’s institutions, this is not just an HR issue; it is a sustainability challenge.

A resilient organisation is not built by policies alone but by empathy, by leaders who understand that psychological safety fuels innovation, retention, and ethical decision-making. Embedding mental health into ESG reporting, board oversight, and workplace culture is no longer optional; it is the next frontier of responsible governance.

Uganda’s call to action

Mental health in emergencies, whether triggered by war, natural disasters, or online violence, requires systems that respond with speed, compassion, and precision. Uganda’s path forward must include:

1. Decentralising mental health services so that communities have immediate access to psychosocial care during crises.
2. Integrating mental health education into schools, workplaces, and community programs, replacing stigma with literacy.
3. Strengthening digital ethics laws and enforcement, ensuring that online spaces are as accountable as physical ones.
4. Embedding mental health in ESG and corporate governance as a measurable indicator of institutional health and national progress.
5. Public–private partnerships to invest in professional training, counselling infrastructure, and awareness campaigns.

These steps are not merely bureaucratic; they are moral imperatives. When a nation protects the mind, it protects its future.

The future depends on how we feel

Ultimately, the true measure of national resilience will not only be in how we rebuild after a crisis, but also in how we heal. The global economy can recover; buildings can be rebuilt. But the human spirit, once broken, takes far longer to restore.

As we mark World Mental Health Day 2025, let us remember that mental health is not a luxury for the privileged; it is a lifeline for the living. Every Ugandan, whether policymaker, employer, or citizen, has a role in turning empathy into policy and awareness into action.

The emergencies we face are not only humanitarian; they are deeply human. The time to act is now.

The writer is with Wellbeing Consult