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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'.
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.
It's estimated that about 1% of the world's population has Schizophrenia. This mental condition, if not treated, can disrupt your life.
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.
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.
Drug use in general can be a costly habit. Richard, who recently discovered the highly addictive drug known in the Western Cape as 'tik', has learnt this the hard way.
We all have our ups and downs, but if you live with bipolar disorder, these mood swings are more severe. However, if treated properly, the disorder can be well managed.
Excessive use of alcohol is not advised in people taking AIDS medication as it may counteract the effect of the drugs. Elizabeth Xaba is proof of this.
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