Mental Health

Psych patients can adhere to ART Living with AIDS # 452

Health, Mental Health

In our last 'Living with AIDS' feature we brought you news of a specialised service that provides both AIDS and psychiatric treatment for mentally ill patients at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. This week, we meet some of the clinic's patients who show that mentally ill patients can take their ARVs successfully.

khopotsobodibe
October 14, 2010

Bara undermines psychiatric services

Mental Health

With a high patient load, the Psychiatric Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital did not expect that it would be without a ward to admit new patients.

khopotsobodibe
October 13, 2010

Therapy through art

Mental Health

Art could help people understand those with psychiatric conditions better as they reflect on how they view their world in their art.

Health-e News
October 13, 2010

Bara no place for psychiatric adolescents

Mental Health

A lack of space has forced psychiatrists at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital to accommodate adolescents as young as 13 in the same wards as adult psychiatric patients, often risking their safety.

khopotsobodibe
October 13, 2010

Communities shy away from psychiatric institutions

Mental Health

Overcoming stigma remains a challenge when involving communities in activities at psychiatric institutions, however there are some success stories. Lungi Langa of Health-e News Service spent a morning with the Friends of Valkenberg Trust.

Health-e News
October 13, 2010

Serving an under-served population Living with AIDS # 451

Health, Mental Health

The saying that necessity is the mother of invention rings very true for Luthando Psychiatric HIV Clinic at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, a specialist service established two years ago to provide AIDS treatment to the hospital's mentally ill patients.

khopotsobodibe
October 7, 2010

Parents waking up to kids’ mental health

Health, Health Systems, Mental Health

More and more caregivers are consulting psychiatric institutions to have their children's mental health assessed. Psychiatrists have attributed this to caregivers paying more attention to their children's behavioural patterns than before.

ayandamkhwanazi
July 22, 2010

Stigma still rife in mental health

Health, Health Systems, Mental Health

Discrimination against people with mental disorders makes it difficult to reintegrate them into society. Psychiatric health specialists blame this on the lack of understanding of mental illness and not knowing how to deal with someone who is mentally ill. In this report, we meet someone who has experienced first-hand such discrimination.

ayandamkhwanazi
July 13, 2010

Just for laughs

Health, Mental Health

Depression has been directly linked to serious illness. According to the WHO, people living with HIV/AIDS are 4.4 times more likely to be depressed. Every time we laugh our body releases a cocktail of chemicals and hormones which give us a feeling of happiness. This insert produced by Fathima Simjee tells the story of Alice Phiri, who has used laughter therapy to help her deal with her HIV positive status.

fathimasimjee
May 7, 2010

Breaking the boundaries of depression

Health, Health Systems, Mental Health

A large proportion of pregnant women who access antenatal care in South African clinics and hospitals are depressed which could pose a risk to their unborn babies. However, the Perinatal Mental Health Project in Cape Town, which offers counselling to mothers throughout their pregnancy, is playing a role by tackling depression in the initial stages of the pregnancy.

Health-e News
April 21, 2010

Running health like a business – Western Cape

Health, Health Systems, Mental Health

Western Cape health MEC Theuns Botha yesterday accused the African National Congress of mismanaging the province while in control, but in the same forum described national health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi as 'the best news to health services this country has seen for a long time'.

Health-e News
February 16, 2010

Difficulties of living with Schizophrenia

Health, Mental Health

It's estimated that about 1% of the world's population has Schizophrenia. This mental condition, if not treated, can disrupt your life.

Health-e News
December 22, 2009

Drug use may lead to Schizophrenia

Health, Mental Health

Early use of drugs such as dagga and tik can sometimes trigger the incurable mental illness of Schizophrenia, which can result in life-threatening behaviour.

Health-e News
December 22, 2009

HIV impact on childhood development

Gender Based Violence, Health, Health Systems, Mental Health, Women's Health

The impact of HIV in children does not only manifest through poor physical health. Often, children living with HIV have difficulties with their cognitive development.

Health-e News
December 14, 2009

Improving survival of HIV+ babies

Gender Based Violence, Health, Health Systems, Mental Health, Women's Health

HIV-positive babies will have an improved chance of survival following the implementation of government's revised anti-retroviral (ARV) policy. All children living with HIV under one year of age will receive treatment as soon as they are diagnosed.

Health-e News
December 8, 2009

Newsletter Subscription