ADVOCACY FOR INVESTMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH
Ahead of the marking of 2024 world suicide prevention day on 10th September, 2024, Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation has advocated for more investment in mental health with the intentional institutionalisation of counselling units and departments in communities, organisations, schools and every where human beings are in order to assist individuals to become mentally aware, overcome mental health challenges, manage the triggers of negative emotions and depression in order to avoid suicidal thoughts.
The advocacy was made known by the Executive Director Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation Reverend Chukwudiebube Nwachukwu while addressing a cross section of stakeholders marking the end of the one-month FREE Counselling programmes for both pregnant persons, widows, widowers, elderly persons, physically challenged and visually impaired persons at the Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation resource centre independence layout Enugu on 5/9/2024 in partnership with Rangers Intl football club foundation, CAPIONG and ASTRICNG.
Earlier in his address which was anchored on the theme of 2024 world suicide prevention day "Changing the narrative in suicide”, Reverend Chukwudiebube who is a life coach and counsellor on bereavement, negative emotions and emotional intelligence maintained that mental health issues need to be prioritised and we all need to encourage investment in this sector by individuals, corporate bodies, schools, government and non governmental organisations amongst others as this will help people know the relevance and importance of counselling and help curb mental health issues and situations that motivate negative pathways and suicide in our society. He equally pointed out that report and analyses on causes of suicide reveals that it is usually occasioned by prolonged depression that is not properly handled. Other causes could be rejection, relationship failures, prolonged sickness, death of loved one, business failures, impunity and lack of social justice leading to frustration, hopelessness and so on. He also added that living above one’s means can give suicidal thoughts when the source of finances fails.
Moving forward, he insisted that changing the narrative on suicide will mean doing things to encourage self awareness on mental health to help people understand that emotions can bring about mood swings as well as helping people learn how to manage them effectively. We need all organisations to prioritise and invest heavily in mental health and have counselling units with certified counsellors who will closely monitor individuals’ behaviours and offer the necessary counselling and therapy if needed. He further added that changing the narratives will mean people accepting the realities on ground and embracing hopefulness with the understanding that life is for the living and that when one door closes, another will open. People should be encouraged to embrace positive coping mechanisms, nurture positive constructive relations, reduce social media influences as well as doing act of kindness and gratitude.
Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation is a global foundation on mental health whose major objectives amongst others are: To educate the public on the effects of negative emotions on our health while providing mental health advocacy, support using counselling, Multi sports activities and other tools as well as shaping public advocacy, awareness and policy related towards women's health and hygiene.
#treasureyourmentalhealth #problemsolving
Editorial Team