Mental Health Workshop

Students are regularly exposed to many situations that can affect the mental health of an individual, but rarely do they have access to the resources and guidance to process those things in a safe environment. It’s our heart as an organization to come alongside every child and provide them with the tools to live full and abundant lives-- including mental health resources.

In March, we invited our older students (ages 14-25) to receive mental health education; 31 students attended the talk at our Kampala office. Moses Okwera Mugisha, a psychiatric counselor who works at a local mental health hospital, taught for two hours. The students had many questions: How do you convince someone to accept that they have a mental illness? How do you differentiate between minor and major mental illnesses? Is it true that 14% of the Ugandan population is mentally ill? Can hereditary mental illness be cured? Why do some people believe the impossible is possible? 

Mr. Mugisha spoke about the indicators of mental illness which include mood swings, violence, laughing without cause, forgetting, and overall acting in a strange manner. Often illness is brought about by the use of drugs, immense stress, and trauma. Mental illness can also be hereditary. The students learned how to identify both the causes and symptoms of mental illness to be able to address the situations head-on. 

Mr. Mugisha spoke about the importance of not engaging in drugs and explained how they directly affect the brain and cause disorganized thoughts and responses. Around adolescence, youth begin wanting to explore new things and fit in;many try drugs to be like the others around them. The youth in Uganda usually engage in a cocktail of drugs – psychedelic leaves, marijuana and glue sniffing.

He also talked about having a plan for stress and not taking things too personally, which can cause them to become sick. One way to combat stress is to confide in a trusted friend or pastor to process the circumstances surrounding them. 

Additionally, Mr. Mugisha explained that when engaging with someone who is mentally ill, they rarely believe that they are sick. It is important to know this and evaluate how to best interact with them. For those in a chaotic state, it is best to talk to them slowly, in a loving way then to seek help to get them to a mental health clinic.

We give thanks for those who attended the education talk. We pray that they make good decisions regarding their mental health and give quality guidance to others who are exposed to the effects of mental impairment.