Healing Liberia
In early October mental health professionals gathered at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s Stakeholders Conference to assess Liberia’s mental health needs and to gather information for a national mental health policy.
Around 60 representatives attended from Liberian universities, non-governmental organisations working in mental health, and various government and ministry entities.
Dr. Westman shared how the training programmes that she administers for Mercy Ships fits in with the other mental health services and programmes in the country. She has trained 30 Liberian health care workers and 80 church leaders, and hosts a weekly radio show where listeners can call and ask questions about mental health.
Dr. Westman also hosts a workshop on aggression and anger management for 85 people in Red Light, an area of Monrovia struggling with crime, and also a reconciliation class, training people to heal the wounds between victims and perpetrators, an important skill in a post-conflict society.
Dr. Westman teaches whole person care, which includes the not only the biological, psychological, and social aspects of a person, but also the spiritual.
“I think it’s always helpful to hear what other programmes are being developed and how they are trying to address some need,” Dr. Westman said. “Most programmes are different from ours because they are offering services, not training.”
Services and training at all levels of mental health are in extreme demand in Liberia, which has only 1 psychiatrist for 3.5 million people. Forty percent of the population shows symptoms of major depressive disorder; about the same number shows symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. According to Dr. Benjamin Harris, Liberia’s only psychiatrist, the people have no idea where to go for treatment.
The conference was important to give a voice to people who see first-hand the needs of the Liberian people. Ultimately the mental health policy will be drafted by two consultants, Dr. Hilary Dennis and Dr. Harris, and a committee of about a dozen representatives. Dr. Westman is a member of this Mental Health Policy Steering Committee, which hopes to have a final policy developed and begin implementing it by March 2009.
Dr. Westman is excited about these opportunities in Liberia, however, she emphasises the need for continuing the mental health programmes in future field services. On the continent of Africa, there is on average one psychiatrist per million people. Continued training in whole person care will help fill those needs wherever Mercy Ships goes.