Well over three million people in SA develop depression every year, researchers estimate
Around 3.8 million people in South Africa developed depression in 2024, estimate leading local researchers in a major new modelling study.
New policies aim to integrate mental health support into HIV services
Research suggests that people living with HIV are more likely to have mental health conditions than the general population. There seems to be consensus that HIV programmes would benefit from including better mental health screening and support services. Two new policy documents – the Mental Health Policy Framework and the National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB, and STIs – have a lot to say about providing such integrated services, but will they result in actual changes on the ground? Thabo Molelekwa reports.
Opinion: Mental health screening for people with TB will change lives and boost SA’s TB response
According to some estimates, over a third of tuberculosis (TB) patients have high levels of psychological distress and a quarter have an alcohol use disorder. Following an eye-opening project in KwaZulu-Natal, Atlantic Institute Tekano Fellow Amanda Fononda argues that a diagnosis of an illness (such as TB) should be accompanied by mental health screening for treatment readiness, adherence, and overall well-being.
Concerns over rise in acute psychiatric admissions in Western Cape
There has been an increase in the number of acute psychiatric admissions in the Western Cape since June, adding to the existing pressure on bed capacity in the province’s hospitals. Tiyese Jeranji unpacks the numbers and the provincial health department’s plans to address them.
In-depth: Is government ready to invest in mental health?
Mental health does not have its own ring-fenced budget and given huge inefficiencies in our mental health spending, we need to be strategic on where and how we spend the little we have. Alicestine October unpacks what a new government-commissioned mental health investment case framework can mean for access to equitable and quality mental health services in the country.
In-depth: How are depression and bipolar disorder treated in the public sector?
It is estimated that “one in ten adults living in South Africa will have experienced major clinical depression at some point in their life but only 25% have sought treatment and care for their mental conditions, such as depression”. Although these estimates are based on the South African Stress and Health (SASH) study, last done in 2009, subsequent studies have stressed the significant challenge of reducing this treatment gap in the country. Elri Voigt asks how conditions like major depression and bipolar disorder are diagnosed and treated in the public sector in South Africa.
What public sector mental health services look like in the Free State
A 36-year-old mother living with HIV from Thabong in Welkom in the Free State is among the many millions of people in South Africa who rely on public healthcare services. Also, like many others, the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated disruptions have left her in a constant struggle with anxiety. Refilwe Mochoari asks what mental health services are available to people in the Free State who depend on the public healthcare system.
EDITORIAL: Spotlight on mental health
In the spirit of mental health awareness month this October, Spotlight will publish a mental health special series in the coming weeks. This is what you can expect.
COVID-19: “Extremely high levels of stress” among employees in SA
Employees in South Africa are experiencing extremely high rates of psychological distress during the COVID-19 epidemic, researchers report.
COVID-19: How life has changed for providers of mental health services
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced mental health practitioners to rethink and adapt how they provide mental health services amidst daily reports of COVID-19 infections and deaths and under the constraints of the national lockdown. Melissa Javan asked mental health practitioners about how their lives have changed.