Mental Health in Ethiopia

-by Stephanie Akosa

Did you know that one in every four people in the world is diagnosed

with mental illness?

Overview: Stigmatization

Some people see mental illness as something to be ashamed of.

Some see the mentally ill as dangerous. “‘When one escapes, it is too often reported, ‘Somewhere,

homeless on the streets ... is a dangerous psychotic.’’”

A lack of knowledge about the mentally-ill results in a very high level of stigmatization of these patients.

Overview: Care for the Mentally Ill Throughout history, they have been restrained.

“[In] years past, they were chained, straitjacketed and hidden away in hospitals.”

There is almost a one to two-million psychiatrist to patient ratio in Ethiopia.

There is one referral hospital in Ethiopia.

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The Incident

What Happened? Seventeen mentally-ill patients

sought help at a monastery.

The patients were chained by the religious leaders. Reason: to keep them off the

streets “The monks were

attempting to ensure the mentally ill didn’t “end up on the street”... The chains are [were] a desperate, stop-gap effort to keep patients safe, says [said] Yonas Baheretibeb, a professor at Addis Ababa University.”

Result

Medical care is now offered to the mentally ill at the monastery every two weeks.

The patients now help in the monasteries.