Mental Health in Africa in the 21st Century

The internal and external environment to Africa is dynamic and this has impacted on the mental health of Africans. There is globalisation on one hand and on the other we have a dynamic socio-political, economic, legal, and technological environment. African countries have registered socio economic growth and others still witness economic stagnation or decline. There are changes in the macroeconomic framework. In the political arena there a move towards uniting African countries beginning with formation of regional blocks. However, a number of African countries are engaged in wars. This has caused mass population movements that have caused mass psycho-trauma. In attempt to stimulate socioeconomic transformation, Africa is accessing technology from developed countries to use in agriculture, education, health and industry. African countries face a wide array of environmental problems that pose a major threat to people in the region. The continent's biggest environmental challenges are water pollution, air pollution, and droughts, which directly impact the health of Africans. All these dynamics impinge on the family and communities and impact on the mental health of people. So there is need to assess mental health of different populations in Africa and suggest ways to improve mental health of the people. The objective of this effort is to solicit different types of papers on mental health and organise them into a qualitative and publishable volume to inform the world on how the dynamics have affected mental health. The writers are called upon to write and send papers on some of the topics including but not limited to current issues in mental health and illness, addictive behaviour: substance and alcohol abuse, sexual and gender problems, gambling, and social media effects. Child and adolescent mental health, the elderly, prison inmates, the armed forces, and culture and mental health are of interest to writers. Other foci include psychosocial interventions: family, group, community interventions, health promotion, prevention science, assessment and diagnosis, psychopharmacology and neuroscience. The exercise will take 4 to 6 months and all of you are encouraged to write.