Experts Explore Ways To Address Mental Health Issues In Africa

African countries have been urged to embrace diversity in the study of the Euro America model in the teaching of Psychology to meet the present reality in the continent.

The FCT Chairman, Pan-African Psychology Union Professor Andrew Zamani who stated this at a conference of the union in Abuja said the review became necessary to build the capacity of young Africans on ways to respond to the challenges of trauma in Africa.

The Chairman who is also a Professor of clinical Psychology, Nasarawa state University, Keffi emphasized the need for a program that would enhance cross border mental health services for victims of violence, conflict resolution, peacekeeping, and youth development to meet African needs.

Professor Zamani explained that “They were trained here with Euro American models, so when they go abroad, they don’t have problems. The reverse is the case, what we are saying is the diversity and recognition for diversity, now, professionals who have local grooming, that have the understanding of the cultural context and also have the language to deliver services that will meet the needs of the people”.

The keynote speaker and the Secretary General, International Union of Psychologist Science, Dr. Ava Thompson who said young Psychologists have a lot of potential to make a difference in the lives of people stressed the need to align the curriculum of the teaching with current trends to address increasing stress cases.

According to Ava Thompson, “We have a lot of potential to make a difference in the lives of people, however, we unfortunately borrowed a lot from other people whose culture and reality, whose lives is very different from ours”.

Thompson explained further that, “because we borrowed so heavily from them, what we borrowed may not work for us in our reality.”

“So we should focus on developing what will work for us, for our context, our values, so this will really affect the change that we want to see in our respective countries”.

The conference with the theme, Psychology Education in Africa: Challenges for cohesion and Development brought together Academias, professionals and other stakeholders to brain storm on ways to address socio factors associated with psychological health which is in the increase in the society today.

Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji