Despite its profound impact on students and the broader public, mental health has long been relegated to the shadows of public discourse and policy priorities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that mental health conditions account for 16% of the global burden of disease and injury among adolescents.
For Ghana, 13% of the citizenry suffer one form of mental disorder with 70% prevalence among the youth.
Yet, in spite of these staggering figures, mental health issues continue to be stigmatized, misunderstood, and often overlooked, leaving countless students to grapple with their challenges in silence.
The condition not only undermines the wellbeing of individuals but also perpetuates a cycle of academic underperformance, social isolation, and long-term societal costs.
To consolidate the gains and confront the pressing issue, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), an esteemed global pharmaceutical company has collaborated with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) through the Resilient Minds Future Leaders program to promote mental health awareness in the university community.
Commercial Lead of Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson Innovative Medicine in Ghana, Emmanuel Asante-Antwi during the launch of the partnership acknowledged that prioritizing mental health support and advocacy is not just a moral imperative but a fundamental necessity for nurturing thriving student communities and fostering a healthier society at large.
“We acknowledge the effects mental health has on each individual and families worldwide that is why we are steadfast in researching development innovative solutions for each complex conditions. Together with KNUST, we are launching the resilient mind future leaders program aimed at increasing awareness of mental health disorders in the university community.
“Through this program, we will provide invaluable support to aid KNUST including capacity building for healthcare professionals and initiatives to enhance early access to appropriate interventions and care for patients”, he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Pro-Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Prof. Rev. Sr. Frances Owusu-Ansah emphasized the need to differentiate between mental illness and mental health.
She called for the need to eschew stigma and the discrimination of mental health patients.
“If you have any person, roommate or child surging from mental health issues you will realize that mental illness has a devastating effect on patients. It affects all spheres of the person’s life from social, emotional to economic and occupational. Because of their conditions, they suffer various forms of discrimination and stigmatization.
“It is timely for us to draw a distinction between mental illness/disorders and mental health in general. Mental illness while is a medical condition which causes certain changes in behavior with certain symptoms which impact people’s lives differently, mental health encompasses how we feel, think and act. Mental health is not the absence of diseases and it affects our general wellbeing”, she said.
As part of the launch, counselors of the KNUST Counseling Center (KCC) took participants through stress management, identifying and supporting peers in distress and how to become a grade ‘A’ student.
By Issah Zakariah/Akoma FM/3news.com