By Francis Byaruhanga;
On a tranquil morning at 10:00 AM, I arrived at Centre Psychotherapeutique Icyizere, a branch of the renowned mental referral hospital, Caraes Ndera, nestled in Kicukiro district, Niboye sector.
Entering the centre, one meets surprisingly welcoming serene surroundings and the people inside, despite their haunting experiences with mental illnesses.
At the reception, the security personnel, who appeared to be psychologists themselves, greeted me with a warm but silent demeanor, a unique blend of care and treatment that set this institution apart.
Their words of welcome echoed, “You are welcome, where are you going?” one of the guards inquired. “To the office of the secretariat,” I replied. “Please proceed,” he encouraged.
This exceptional treatment was unlike anything I had experienced before, a testament to the expertise of the psychotherapists here.
Inside, I witnessed a young woman attending to a patient, whose face bore the weight of gloom. It was clear that he was struggling with mental issues, and a trained psychologist provided him with compassionate care.
The patient, who chose to remain anonymous, confided, “For the last two weeks, I have been plagued by nightmarish visions, to the point where I couldn’t sleep anymore, fearing the return of these unsettling dreams. I was both mentally and physically weakened, I decided to seek help at this hospital,”
The reality is that, in Rwanda, and indeed globally, mental health is increasingly becoming a subject of interest. However, it remains a concern that only a few people take mental health seriously, while others attribute it to supernatural forces beyond their control.
Remarkably, despite some mental illnesses still being shrouded in secrecy, experts predict that, in the near future, society will begin to recognize the burden of mental diseases on par with physical ailments.
Hussein Manji, the Global Therapeutic Area Head for NeuroScience at Janssen Research and Development, expressed his hope, saying, “My hope is that mental diseases will someday be like any other illness. No stigma, no shame, just support and sympathy.”
Recent research indicates that while at least 75% of Rwandans are aware of the existence of mental health facilities, only about 10% seek treatment. The Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) reports in 2015 revealed that one out of every five individuals in Rwanda grapples with mental health issues.
Experts attribute this trend to factors like family conflicts and the historical trauma experienced by the country especially as a result of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
According to Dynamo Ndacyayisenga, the Director of Drug Abuse at RBC, mental health is an emerging discipline that is starting to gain attention.
“In the period before the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, we had only Caraes Ndera caring for those with mental problems, but during the post-genocide era, mental health concerns grew and we needed more such facilities,” he shared, emphasizing that the experiences of the country contribute to the high burden of mental diseases.
Marie Josiane Umulisa, a Clinical Psychologist at AHEZA HEALING CENTER, a mental health center funded by GAERG-based Ntarama sector, Bugesera district, pointed out that family conflicts are a leading cause of depression.
She urged people to break the silence and speak openly about their mental illnesses, dispelling stereotypes that label mental diseases as something separate from other illnesses.
On a positive note, Jean-Baptise Munyankore, an elderly survivor under the care of AHEZA HEALING CENTER, shared his journey of healing. He emphasized the transformative impact of psychotherapists on his life, saying, “When we came to this center, we had lost our families and were burdened with mental problems, but the center helped us escape solitude,”
Statistics from Johnson and Johnson indicate that mental illness affects one in four people globally, with schizophrenia alone impacting more than 21 million worldwide. Sadly, over 90% of individuals with untreated schizophrenia reside in low and middle-income countries, where access to quality mental health care is severely limited. Stigma and discrimination further hinder treatment.
Fortunately, the United Nations has recognized the importance of mental health in its Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, provide prevention and treatment, and promote mental health and well-being by one-third by 2030.
The journey towards understanding and addressing mental health continues, as we strive to break the silence and build a future where mental health is treated with the same compassion and care as physical health.