Cape Town - Half of all mental health cases in the Western Cape are related to substance abuse, the provincial Health Department has said.
This emerged as Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo began a “Taking Wellness to the People” campaign this week.
Mbombo is to visit seven different communities in a week-long attempt to raise awareness about substance abuse and its lasting effects.
The initiative saw her visit the central Karoo on Monday, and the tour will end in the Eden District in the southern Cape on Sunday.
Siviwe Gwarube, acting head of the health department, said key messages the MEC would take to the communities were on the importance of healthy lifestyles, wellness and key behavioural changes, and for people to understand the role they had to play to provide healthcare through active citizenship.
“This is demonstrated by the call for nominees for the Independent Complaints Commission and the Facility Boards; Caring for Our Carers, who work tirelessly under difficult conditions to bring quality healthcare to our clients,” Gwarube said.
The MEC would also highlight the rise in mental illness cases due to substance abuse.
“As part of mental awareness month, Mbombo will be speaking to families and communities about the effects of substance abuse. Our stats show that substance abuse plays a key role in increased levels of mental health cases,” said Gwarube.
In a 2014 research report titled South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Abuse, it was found that the most commonly-abused primary substances in the Western Cape were methamphetamine or tik, alcohol, cannabis and heroin.
This was reported by the 32 specialist treatment centres and programmes that took part in the project between January and June 2013
“The proportion of patients with methamphetamine as their primary substance of abuse decreased slightly from 33 percent in the previous period to 28 percent. Overall, 3 717 patients were treated across all 32 treatment centres in the first half of 2013,” the report said.
Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre director Ashley Potts said the initiative was welcome.
“Between 55 and 60 percent of our intake needs to be referred to a psychiatric facility for treatment. A lot of awareness needs to be created on the impact of experimental drugs. People don’t understand the impact they have on the brain.
“The challenge we are finding is a high rate of young substance users. They enter psychiatric treatment due to their chronic use of substances,” Potts said.
He said it was important for young people to realise the implications of experimenting with addictive substances on their bodies and minds.
“The Eden district is an area in need of treatment facilities and assistance,” Potts added.
Cape Times