By Linda Likomwa

Phalombe, September 17, Mana: Phalombe District Council with support from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is implementing an Outreach Adolescent Mental Health project to address mental health issues affecting youths in the district.

Speaking at Mpasa Primary School ground on Monday Alexander Sembo, Clinical Associate in Mental Health at Rev. John Chilembwe Hospital said each month they treat 28 new mental health cases apart from those that are referred to Zomba Mental Hospital.

"Most cases we are treating are young people between the ages of 17 to 27 and this is the result of excessive beer drinking, smoking Chamba (Indian hemp), and use of drugs," said Sembo. 

He added that most youths in the district after finishing form four have nothing to do and they indulge themselves in bad behaviors that are leading them to mental health.

Sembo appealed to youths in the district to refrain from beer drinking and Chamba smoking, saying that mental health medicines are expensive which makes the hospital lose a lot of money to buy drugs to treat them.

Speaking earlier District Youth Officer Halson Bulangeti said young people are struggling to cope with different mental threats and they are not aware that mental problems can be referred to and treated at the hospital.

He thanked UNICEF for the support that would help them to mainstream issues of mental health and address psychosocial problems affecting youths in the district which is mostly influenced by trauma due to Cyclone Freddy, stress, financial problems and abuses.

Phalombe District Youth Network Chairperson, Gift Mawindo said the outreach would impact a lot of youths in the district since issues of mental health are reported at his office with some attempting to commit suicide.

The council is expected to reach 50,000 youths in three months, especially in traditional authorities that were hit hard by Tropical Cyclone Freddy.