25 May 2023
Invisible disabilities such as mental health are one of the most essential, yet neglected, development issues in achieving agreed development goals. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. People with severe mental health conditions die prematurely ¨C as much as two decades early ¨C due to preventable physical conditions. Despite progress in debating the thematic, people with mental health conditions often experience severe human rights violations, discrimination, and stigma.
To recognize the importance of it, the Safety and Security Services (SSS) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) held a retreat on mental health and psychosocial support in Bishoftu (Oromia Region in Ethiopia) from 15 to 23 May 2023. The training aimed to raise awareness of mental health issues, increase understanding and reduce stigma. According to the Chief, Mr. Ricardo Freitas da Silva, "the purpose of the training is to help security personnel deal with the stresses of work and life, so that they can understand the psychological challenges and psychiatric disorders and how to deal with them. Participants also learned how to take care of their minds and improve their mental health".
On the first day, the group discussed on ¡°team building amidst operational challenges - proffering solution as a team¡± were participants had the opportunity to share their reflections, concerns, suggestions and proposals. On the second day, Dr. Wodajeneh Meharene, certified public health specialist and counseling psychologist facilitated the session using two-way communication. Five modules conformed the training: (i) Personality and Character Development; (ii) Cognitive Distortions and Mental Health; (iii) Mental Health Issues; (iv) How to improve our Mental Health and (v) SWOT Analysis for Personal Development. Inspector Elfinesh Tefera, Team Leader of the Retreat Planning Commission, highlighted the training's usefulness and power impact allowing everyone to reflect on their own behaviour. A total of 140 SSS personnel participated in the two-day retreat.
Following the retreat, ECA-SSS management is committed to keeping Mental Health as a priority, promoting open discussions and refresher trainings.