By Kadiatu Sankoh
African Population and Health Research Center, funded by Being Initiative, conducted a Mapping of Youth Mental Health Landscape in Sierra Leone. This assessment is done to determine local mental health needs, vulnerabilities and drivers, as well as understanding the gaps and opportunities within the system, as this will lead to greater prioritization and investment in young people’s mental health and wellbeing, through locally created and led solutions. This is in recognition of the fact that healthy youths become healthy adults, and cumulatively, a healthy society.
During the presentation, Dr. Fredrick Wekesah, Kenyan Health Researcher, whiles speaking on the findings of the Landscape Analysis of Youth Mental Health in Sierra Leone, mentioned that:
The approach used in understanding the most significant early drivers of youth mental health and wellbeing, is pivotal in informing strategic investments moving forward. In doing this, they carried out a landscape analysis of youth mental health through a series of interlinked activities, from early March 2023 to February 2024. The aim is to understand the mental health issues affecting young people, the vulnerable groups among the youth population, the drivers of youth mental health, and gaps and opportunities within the healthcare system to address youth mental health.
The first step in Sierra Leone was to partner with local organizations to map out key mental health stakeholders, before conducting an in-depth landscape analysis in Sierra Leone.
The techniques used in the reasearch include: Literature review and evidence synthesis; that is by extensively reviewing published peer reviewed and grey literature on the state of youth mental health in Sierra Leone. It also involves desk research; collecting and analyzing available national mental health data.
Mapping out and engaging key stakeholders is also another technique used. APHRC Worked with the Sustainable Health System (SHS) and National Mental Health Coalition (NMHC) to map out key mental health stakeholders and consult with them to obtain more detailed and nuanced information about the country’s youth mental health landscape. Key stakeholders were drawn from Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Ministry of Social Welfare and Statistics Sierra Leone, implementing partners and donors; private sector organizations; nongovernmental organizations; civil society organizations; UNICEF; the World Health Organization country office; academics; researchers and community-based organizations working with or representing vulnerable groups. This was through virtual and in person workshops, surveys and training workshops.
Consensus building on priority issues: this step sought to bring together various stakeholders to determine and agree on the priority drivers for youth mental health and wellbeing, as well as make recommendations on priority areas for action and investment in youth mental health.
Dr. Wekesah Furthered on highlighting the priority mental health conditions, which, among them, is Substance use: Kush, Marijuana. He mentioned that according to the Ministry of Youth Affairs, majority of Sierra Leoneans with substance abuse disorders, who obtained treatment are young people between the ages of 20 and 29.
Depression and depressive disorders: the prevalence of depression among the general population is between 10% and 25% among former child soldiers, the prevalence is 48% and about 47% of Ebola survivors have depressive symptoms.
Increased substance abuse is often linked to depression and in turn, to suicide and attempted subside
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: In Sierra Leone, 27 % of the general population have been diagnosed with PTSD. In the context of Ebola PTSD among survivors ranges from 16 % to as high as 76%