Mental Health i n Ethiopia

1. Mental Health in Ethiopia -by Stephanie Akosa

2. Did you know that one in every four people in the world is diagnosed with mental illness?

3. 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.

4. 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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7. The Incident What Happened? Result Medical care is now offered to the mentally ill at the monastery every two weeks. The patients now help in the monasteries. • 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] YonasBaheretibeb, a professor at Addis Ababa University.”