A case for mental health of children and adolescents in Zimbabwe
Mental health of children and adolescents in Zimbabwe is underreported, suffers from lack of reliable data, remains stigmatized and is rarely acknowledged.
Highlights
Challenges to mental health, which include depression, anxiety and suicide, continue to be misunderstood and associated with negative connotations in Zimbabwe.
Recent research published by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and UN partners - “Prevention and management of mental health conditions in Zimbabwe: The case for investment” - states that mental health-related morbidity and mortality are increasing in Zimbabwe. Anxiety disorders are estimated to affect 2.8 per cent of the population and to account for 4 per cent of total years lived with disability. However, the report highlights this might be underestimated. Data and literature on the prevalence of depressive disorders vary.
