Mental health is an intrinsic part of our individual and collective health and wellbeing. Having good mental health means we are better able to connect, function, cope and thrive. Mental health is of critical importance to everyone, everywhere and a basic human right for all.
As social beings we are not meant to live in isolation and our communities provide many elements that are critical to our mental health. Different societal belief systems, language, and idiomatic expressions around mental health across cultures and within our community influence whether, how and where people seek help, as well as whether people recognize problems or experiences of their own and of others.
Fear of isolation, discrimination and stigma deprive an individual of their human right and exclude them from decisions about their own health, their ability to earn an income, have a voice, gain access to quality care, be a proactive member of their community and recover from their mental health condition.
This prompts an instrumental need to transform our attitudes, actions, and approaches to promote and protect mental health, to ensure that every individual can access their inherent right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. We can and should do this by reducing our communal barriers towards mental health by strengthening our collective commitment to give it meaning, value and parity through collaborative understanding, community cohesion and sustainable collaborative action.
Below are some suggestions to achieve collaborative action for community wellbeing.
Establish a Shared Vision for Collaborative Understanding
A shared vision with a collective understanding of mental health and its importance as a community is necessary. By considering the views of a broad range of community members we are better able to understand communal barriers to mental health, address different perceptions, reach common ground, and together identify what needs to change. In identifying areas for improvement as a community, a stronger sense of community engagement, collective commitment and empowerment is fostered.
Collaborate for Collaborative Action
Creating collaborative relationships, partnerships and developing a steering committee with roles and responsibilities is important to achieve objectives, share resources, increase sustainable efforts, and enhance collective accountability.
Working together with other established groups within the larger societal context allows for a wider reach and access to resources to implement mental health initiatives within our communities. The use of volunteers, champions, mentors, and peer support services can provide an additional layer of support in which people use their own experiences to help each other by sharing knowledge, providing emotional support, creating opportunities for social interaction, offering practical help, or engaging in advocacy and awareness raising. This can be especially useful in advocating for social inclusion for those living with mental health conditions and promoting rights-based, person-centred, recovery-oriented care and support.
In addition to these efforts, creating collaborative relationships can intensify our collaborative action and bridge the gap between communities and local policy makers. This can prove beneficial towards the development of community-based mental health services capable of achieving universal health coverage for mental health and advocating for the integration of mental health into primary health care. In achieving this we will be able to reduce suffering, preserve people’s dignity, and advance the development of our communities and societies.
Embed and Evaluate to Create Sustainability
Lastly, to ensure sustainability and community commitment, efforts towards mental health need to be embedded in the culture of the community. To achieve this, community steering committees need to regularly reinforce the narrative.
This can be done by regular community updates, seeking feedback from community members on the initiatives being implemented, evaluating progress of the initiatives in alignment to desired communal goals and outcomes, adapting initiatives in accordance with community feedback and acknowledging communal progress to enhance and maintain motivation.
This series of collaborative actions together with other prevention and promotion strategies can lead to continued and improved attitudes and a proactive approach to mental health within the community. As well as build community resilience and empower communities to maintain a supportive culture so that everyone has an equal opportunity to flourish.
Sources: Powell N, Dalton HE, Perkins D. (2018). A collaborative approach to community mental wellbeing – a scoping review. Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, University of Newcastle. World Health Organization. (2022). World mental health report: transforming mental health for all. Geneva: World Health Organization; Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
Author: Naseeba Hoosen Naseeba Hoosen is an aspiring Industrial and Organizational Psychologist. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University Of South Africa (UNISA) and a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Naseeba has a strong passion towards the re-humanization of the workforce with a focus on career development and wellbeing in the workplace, by providing individual, group and organizations development solutions to human capital challenges and advocating for the inclusion of mental health in the workplace. She has gained extensive experience within the NGO sector, applying a solutionist approach to real life challenges, creating, and coordinating meaningful campaigns which provided humanitarian relief, advocacy, research, and facilitation on social issues. In addition to this, Naseeba works closely with likeminded individuals in identifying gaps within an unequal society to create resourceful solutions that motivate, inspire, and educate youth in life skills and personal and professional leadership development to enhance their employability and become an agent of change. Naseeba is committed to working in various settings and socio-economic contexts with the purpose of assisting individuals to make occupational, educational, and developmental choices to manage their career and lives
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