By Michael Kofi Kenetey
In order to increase Mental Health Awareness among pupils at the Basic Schools, the Family Strengthening Programme, FSP, under the auspices of the SOS Children’s Villages, Asiakwa has organized a Mental Health Awareness Training for seven Basic Schools in New Jejeti and Adasawase in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region.
The Training is to equip pupils to be abreast with mental health issues, experiences, and actions that amount to mental disorders or illness and how to seek help when going through such mental health disorders or issues.
Participants were taken through the meaning of mental wellness, which includes emotional, psychological and social health or well-being. Furthermore, they were also taken through some examples of mental illness or disorders such as depression, delusion, trauma, obsession, extreme grief and bereavement. Other examples include bipolar disorder, anxiety, phobia, excessive fear, low self-esteem, and addiction among others.
In an interview with GBC News, the Clinical Psychologist at SOS Children’s Villages, Ghana, Innocent Asiwome Funn stated that there is a need to prioritize the issue of mental health in Ghana adding that numerous people are going through mental disorders without knowing. Mr. Asiwome Funn noted that people go to hospital regularly to check their health status, however, he lamented the mental well-being that controls one’s actions and activities, it is rare for people to go to the hospital to check their mental status and as a result, they decided to organize the training for the pupils.
The Family Strengthening Programmes Coordinator of the SOS Children’s Villages, Asiakwa, David Kanortey mentioned that the issue of mental health is becoming alarming hence the need to equip the youth with knowledge and ideas concerning mental health. He reiterated that the youth being aware of mental health issues will be able to support their colleagues going through such issues.
The Headteacher of the New Jejeti Methodist JHS, Jones Akubiom commended SOS Children’s Villages, Asiakwa for organizing such an important training for the pupils. He noted that they as teachers have been exposed to some actions of their pupils during the training that amount to mental disorders or issues that they as teachers were unaware such as children shying away from their colleagues or isolating themselves from their mates.
Some participants shared what they have acquired during the Mental Health Awareness Creation Training.
At Adasawase, participating schools include Adasawase Methodist Primary, Adasawase D/A Basic School, Adasawase Presby Basic School with four hundred and 10 pupils comprising one hundred and 91 females and two hundred and 19 males. While at New Jejeti the participating schools include New Jejeti Presby Basic School, New Jejeti Methodist Primary and JHS School and New Jejeti Roman Catholic Basic School with four hundred and 25 pupils comprising two hundred and 17 females and two hundred and eight males.