Tema-Ghana, Oct.11, GNA – The Tema Metro Health Directorate has engaged students at the Tema Methodist Day Senior High School (MEDASS) on mental health issues to mark the 2023 Mental Health Day and charged them to create awareness among their colleagues and families.
Mr. Pious Tay, Mental Health Coordinator for the Tema Metro Health Directorate, said mental health was the outward manifestation of sound interpersonal and intrapersonal interaction with environmental implications.
He explained that the behaviour one exhibited could be used to improve the mental health of a person, adding that in exhibiting good mental health a person must be able to express joy in times of happiness and sadness in times of unpleasant situations.
Mr. Tay said the Tema Metro Health Directorate, working in collaboration with the Yah-Salem Foundation, decided to mark the day by educating and equipping the students with basic information on mental health.
He said a positive self-image and self-acceptance helped improve mental health as one would not be bothered or worried about what people say about them.
He added that being able to move in groups and converse among peers was a sign of good mental health.
He said: “Most students after school or even during lunch hours move in groups with their friends and converse with whoever.
“When you notice that that one person is always isolated and does not converse with friends, don’t ignore the person but rather advise the person to see the school counsellor or mental health professional.”
He also encouraged the students to keep a clean and serene environment as that helped to improve their mental health, so they should do well to keep their environment tidy and stop stigmatization among themselves to enable healthy mental health growth.
Mr. Williams Okanta, the Senior House Master, noted that the engagement had been educative and urged the Tema Metro to do their best possible to occasionally engage students on issues about their health.
Mr. Prince Atsu Dortumor, a student, also noted that issues such as drugs and bad company affected their mental well-being and urged his colleagues to take their mental health seriously for them to excel academically.
He also called on the Tema Metro Health Directorate and stakeholders in health to visit and engage them in activities that would improve their physical and mental well-being.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mrs. Mary Adu Sarfo, the co-founder of the Yah-Salem Foundation, said the foundation, which is focused on child rights protection, sought to ensure that children were protected from violence, abuse, and expectations.
She said it was important to create awareness and educate the children about their mental well-being.
She said: “Today being mental health day, it was an opportunity to collaborate with Tema-Metro Health to create awareness and educate the students on their mental well-being and issues surrounding their mental health that help improve their academics.”
