By Desire Tshuma
EPWORTH — Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is intensifying community-based mental health awareness in Epworth, urging families to support — not stigmatize — young people battling psychological distress and substance abuse.
Speaking during World Mental Health Day commemorations in Epworth, MSF Mental Health Supervisor Janet Mukurumbira (pictured) said communities must lead in identifying people with mental health challenges and linking them to care.
This year’s commemorations ran under the theme, “Lived Experiences Heard, Real Voices, Real Change,” placing the experiences of affected individuals at the centre of the response.
Mukurumbira said the event brought together young people, parents and local stakeholders to share lived experiences and examine how mental health challenges and drug abuse are affecting families.
“We want their voices to be heard, and we believe that is where the big change is going to come from,” she said.
MSF is working in Epworth and surrounding areas, including Beitbridge, through its Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ARH) programme, which integrates mental health support.
Mukurumbira said young people seeking help are presenting with conditions including bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression, with substance abuse increasingly flagged as a major concern.
She said discussions highlighted the social impact of drug use, including behavioural changes and the strain placed on families trying to support affected relatives.
She urged communities to recognise early signs of mental illness and respond with compassion rather than punishment or violence.
“If you identify someone with a mental health problem, what are you going to do? What is the next step?” she asked, stressing the need for awareness and early intervention.
Mukurumbira said people exhibiting unusual behaviour, such as talking to themselves, should not automatically be labelled as dangerous or attacked, but should be assessed and directed to appropriate services.
She said while rehabilitation facilities remain critical, their capacity alone cannot meet the growing demand. She cited Harare Psychiatric Unit for short-term care and Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital in Masvingo for longer-term treatment, alongside private centres, as key referral points.
However, she emphasized that families and communities must complement institutional care by providing support, encouraging treatment adherence and facilitating reintegration.
“If we have one rehabilitation centre, it will not be enough to cover the community. But if we can effect change within the family system, it will go a long way in improving the health of these young people,” she said.
Mukurumbira said MSF’s ARH project targets adolescents and young people aged 10 to 24, while the Ministry of Health and Child Care runs other programmes catering for those outside that age group.
She said sustained awareness campaigns are needed to dismantle harmful misconceptions, promote understanding of mental health conditions and encourage people to seek professional help early.
The Epworth commemorations highlighted the need for a collective response involving families, health workers, community leaders and other stakeholders to address the twin burden of mental health challenges and substance abuse, making mental health care a shared responsibility.