While more men commit suicide, their upbringing as well as the accessibility of mental health facilities, prevent them from seeking assistance.
As reports of suicide increase around this time of the year, Popular Democratic Movement member of parliament Maximiliant Katjimune shared his concerns with recent statistics indicating that out of 700 suicides, over 600 were by men.
“I think one particular aspect that has been missing from the debate is that we have failed to harness our attention to male suicide. We have unfortunately forgotten the boy child,” Katjimune said during a recent parliament debate.
Men can experience a wide range of mental health conditions, but the most common ones include depression, social anxiety, bipolar, post-traumatic stress and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Lee-Roy Yambwa (24) said he did not experience therapy but lives with someone who goes to therapy every week, he got to learn a lot because it opens a person up.
“It is not always a comfortable feeling to open up to someone you love, a partner or a friend.
As a man, you’re supposed to put on a strong character for society, yet society is the one that will judge you when you seek help. Your mental health and life issues need to be dealt with professionally and the best way is through therapy.
A young man trying to fight the stigma around therapy is Panduleni Shatyohamba (24) who said therapy is indeed important. However, he said he was raised to believe that as a man, you are meant to be hard and never express your feelings.
“To be strong and never show your weakness. We suffer in silence because not only do we not have people to vent to but also because of the fear of being stigmatised against by both women and fellow men. I believe therapy is best because you are guaranteed privacy and it is way more comfortable to talk to someone you know and has studied specifically to help me rather than talking to someone I know because that person might start to look at me differently,” said the distressed young man.
Swakopmund-based psychologist Altus van der Merwe told New Era men get socialised differently from women, with higher expectations.
He also said men don’t want it known that they may need assistance or show their vulnerabilities.
“Obviously the stigma around men has changed over the past decades but it definitely still needs more focus. We grew up in an era where in sports you were told not to be a sissy when you got hurt. This is something that was enrooted in the male mind, believed that showing vulnerability and weakness was a sign of not being able to take the stresses of life and being depressed says nothing about your future successes,’’ he added.
But the accessibility of mental health facilities remains a stumbling block.
The health ministry revealed last year that more than half of the health professionals in the country are employed in the private sector, which serves less than 20% of the population.
“I think it’s the government’s job to make sure all areas of the country have access to clinical psychologists or at least medical doctors that can refer people to psychologists, therapists or counsellors when the conditions are bad and really need mental care and also prescribe the needed medication. Unam trains two to eight clinical phycologists every two to three years, if only those numbers could increase,” said Van der Merwe.
Gareth Kondiri (20), a psychology student at Triumphant College, stated how important mental health is to him “when it comes to mental health, one cannot assess themselves. Therapy helps you see yourself in someone else’s eyes, therapy helps you see the bigger picture,” Kondiri said.
He also added that Namibians are used to fighting their own battles, but the cause of mental health needs the right training and equipment to fight this battle.
“Not only Namibians but most men all over the globe have the mindset that men don’t cry, nor talk about their feelings, because it is considered to be weak. We see so many young Namibian men taking their own lives because they feel they’re not worth living and they are scared to go for therapy because there is a stigma around it, which is sad. Therapy provides a sense of freedom or weight lifted off your shoulders, a sense of freeing your demons,” said
Kondiri.
With men being socialised as breadwinners in the family, losing a job and divorce are some of the triggers of depression in men. One of the greatest reasons why it is difficult for men to ask for help is that they do not want to appear burdensome or needy to their friends and families.
Young men in Namibia have been put through the wringer with jobs hard to come by, as the United Nations in the country estimates youth unemployment to be around 50%. There is also an estimated 67 000 graduates without work even before the onslaught of Covid-19 which decimated industries and businesses. The ministry of labour earlier this year said around 15 000 people were retrenched because of the pandemic.
“Men’s mental health needs a lot of awareness just like prostate cancer. They are equally important. Professional help helps with having an optimal life, helps with being your authentic self and it also satisfies your emotional needs,” said Van der Merwe.