Overlooked aspects of mental health
What you need to know:
Mental health is multidimensional, and addressing its disregarded facets requires a holistic approach. Remember, it is never too late to recognise what is being overlooked and take steps toward a healthier, more balanced life
Mental health remains one of the most critical yet misunderstood challenges of our time. While awareness has grown in recent years, many aspects continue to be neglected, buried under layers of stigma, cultural bias, and systemic gaps in care.
The consequences are severe millions suffer in silence, either misdiagnosed, dismissed, or left without proper support. For instance, older adults face unique mental health challenges, yet their struggles are often brushed aside. Depression in seniors is mistaken for "normal sadness," while dementia is mislabelled as mere forgetfulness. Women too are expected to endure pain silently, whether from childbirth, domestic stress, or societal pressure. Their mental health is often an afterthought.
The reality is that mental health is not a niche issue; it affects people across all ages, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Yet, society often reduces mental illness to simplistic stereotypes. The misconception of mental health disorders ranges from being 'mad' or 'crazy' to being 'psychologically weak. Some even perpetuate the dangerous myth that "depression is a disease for the rich and noble class," when in truth, mental illnesses are health conditions that affect our emotions, thinking, or behavior, just as physical illnesses affect the body.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in eight people globally; approximately 970 million, lives with a mental disorder. While anxiety, depression, and PTSD dominate discussions, other conditions such as sleep and eating disorders remain overlooked. Recent research from The Onward Project On Wellbeing and Adversity (TOPOWA) reveals alarming trends among young women in Kampala's urban slums. Their study found that 65 percent of young women aged 18-24 reported one or more mental health concerns, with 34 percent presenting with anxiety and nearly one in three reporting depression. Most startling, 46 percent reported suicidality, and about 32 percent reported two or more mental health conditions.
Cultural blind spots
Evelyn Lufafa, a counselling psychologist at Sermotherapy, emphasizes that "everyone in society is susceptible to mental health issues regardless of social status, age and background." However, certain groups face particular neglect. The elderly, for instance, often have conditions such as depression and dementia dismissed as "normal aging," despite the profound impact of social isolation and loss of autonomy on their wellbeing.
Women's mental health struggles tied to life transitions like pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause remain underexplored in research. At the same time, men face their own crisis. "Men's mental health struggles, including high suicide rates and societal pressure to suppress emotions, are also poorly addressed," Lufafa points out. This gendered neglect creates dangerous gaps in care and understanding.
The intersection of mental health with socioeconomic factors is another overlooked dimension. Poverty and economic instability contribute significantly to mental health challenges, yet treatment often occurs in isolation from these realities. "Limited access to affordable care exacerbates these issues," the Lufafa notes.
The physical-mental health connection is similarly ignored, chronic illnesses such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease can worsen mental health, and vice versa, yet integrated treatment remains rare.
Holistic mental well-being
Charles Natuhamya, a mental health supporter at TOPOWA, points out rest as another neglected aspect. "I had for a long time mistaken long sleep hours for laziness and waste of time," he admits. "Yet, sleep is causally related to mental health difficulties. Research indicates that improving sleep is associated with better mental health regardless of the severity." He emphasizes that quality rest extends beyond physical sleep to include mental, emotional, and spiritual rest, all crucial for wellbeing.
Natuhamya also acknowledges the healing power of human connection, recalling how a simple walk with a colleague helped him through burnout. "Research indicates that if we focus a little more on building friendships just as we get intentional about our careers and businesses, we may most likely wake up to a world of fewer mental health issues," he observes. Yet these seemingly small interactions are often undervalued in our fast-paced world.
The need for regular mental health checkups is equally urgent. "As an example, anxiety can easily progress from mild to moderate, and to severe; and suicidality can swiftly shift from suicidal thought to plan, from plan to attempt, and from attempt to actual suicide," warns Natuhamya. Early detection through self-assessments and professional evaluations could prevent countless tragedies.
