If you think that depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders are problems reserved for others, this brilliant essay on mental health in a post-independence and culturally hybrid Africa will make you think again.
Mental health is essential for social well-being and community support. In post-independence and culturally hybrid Africa, problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders are often ignored or stigmatised. Yet positive change in society depends on the mental health of its members, including a holy spirit. For an African population seeking to reconcile its painful past with a promising future, it is necessary to confront the challenges of the present moment. This essay underlines the importance of communication between oneself and the gaze of others, between individuals of different generations. It promotes understanding of the stigma attached to mental health. It also tackles the prejudices and taboos that hinder the healing process of Afrodescendants.
The next session is an opportunity to reflect with the author on the importance of mental health and the challenges to be overcome in this regard.
About the author
A graduate in information and communication sciences, Simone Wonja-Ngueah is a copywriter, blogger and artist who explores gender and mental health issues of Afro-descendants under the pen name Simone Daurevoir. Since 2019, she has devoted herself to independent research in psychology and philosophy. Ton sens de l'humeur is her first essay.
L'aprèm' du livre is the monthly book presentation organised by the Goethe-Institut Cameroon. It enables authors to present their works to a broad public and to trigger dialogue with the audience. Each year, 11 authors are selected by a jury following a call for entries.
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