mental health Archives - Voice of the Cape

Navigating the festive season: A closer look at mental health and public sentiments

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen The joyous holiday season, typically marked by celebrations and merriment, has taken on a different tone for many South Africans this year. As reports indicate, a prevailing sense of gloominess has settled in, leading individuals to approach the festive season with caution and frugality. The National Bipolar Support group leader for SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group), Mogamad Nackerdien, sheds light on the phenomenon commonly referred […]

19 December 2023

Local

Navigating multifocal motor neuropathy: Insights on mental health and coping

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen The National Institutes of Health data stated that Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) is an uncommon condition, with a prevalence of fewer than 1 in 100,000 individuals worldwide. Interestingly, it appears to affect men approximately 2.7 times more frequently than women. In an interview with Rameez Cassim, a stand-up comedian and motivational speaker, he offers valuable insights into his personal journey of living with MMN. “This is an […]

29 August 2023

Local

More children, youth seeking mental health services in SA: UNICEF report

LOCAL The United Nations children’s organisation, UNICEF, says 73% of children and youth in South Africa felt they needed mental health support over the past year. The latest UNICEF South Africa U-Report poll has revealed that 38% actively sought help. UNICEF representative in South Africa, Christine Muhigana, says more children and young people are coming forward with what’s troubling them and seeking professional help. “And very interesting, the positive outcome […]

11 November 2022

News

Managing your Mental Wellness through Sleep

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen Sleep is very important for our mental health. It is such an easy thing to neglect and easy to tap into to get that overall health benefit. This is according to the Founder of Stoom, Rudo Kemp, who was a guest on VOC Breakfast on Thursday morning. As October puts the spotlight on Mental Health Awareness, Kemp spoke on the effects of sleep on mental health. “Having […]

13 October 2022

News

Mental Health Awareness

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen Although it might be difficult at first, it is very important that people start having open conversations about mental health. This is according to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)’s Vanishaa Gordhan, who was a guest on VOC Breakfast on Tuesday morning. She was speaking in commemoration of World Mental Health Day. According to Gordhan, there are many factors that could impact a person’s mental […]

11 October 2022

Local

Stigmatization comes under the microscope on Mental Health Awareness day

LOCAL Stigmatisation remains a leading reason behind people not seeking professional help for mental illnesses. This is according to a Cape Town based mental health counsellor, Claire Williams. She says stigmatisation adds to the burden of mental health disorders, often leading to people opting not to seek professional help. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation reported that 970-million people worldwide suffered from a mental disorder. Just over 300-million […]

11 October 2022

Local

‘Running has been a great form of therapy for me’: mental health activist after battling depression and accident

Six months after being hit by a car during a morning run, sustaining head and knee injuries, Mmatshepo Seoka this week completed her first marathon. “It was amazing and it was difficult, I won’t lie,” the 25-year-old said of the 42km Wally Hayward Marathon. After Seoka set off on November 8 for her usual morning run in West Park, Pretoria West, she woke up in hospital with no memory of […]

5 May 2022

News

Educational psychologist says covid-19 pandemic has substantially affected mental health of children

“This has been one of the most traumatic events in our lifetime,” said Dr Yusuf Lalkhen, an educational psychologist. Speaking on the VOC’s Breakfast show on Thursday, Dr Lalkhen described the year 2020 as an extremely debilitating year for the youth and their overall mental wellbeing. South Africa recorded over 10,000 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours for the first time since August 1. SA's highest ever single-day […]

18 December 2020

Local

Lifeline receiving over 4 000 calls daily since the start of lockdown

Lifeline South Africa says many people are facing mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. It says it has had an unprecedented number of calls since the coronavirus lockdown started. The counselling service says it receives over 4 000 calls daily. The same number of calls is usually recorded in a week. National CEO of Life Line Takalo Molefi says, “People are stressed, people are experiencing anxiety, depression and all […]

8 April 2020

mental health

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