Healthy minds key to growth

THERE is more to good health than just a physically healthy body.
A healthy person should have a healthy mind.
Good mental health is vital for our healthy life.
Mental health is the most important aspect of a person’s wellbeing
Often times, where there is something wrong with our bodies, we take it seriously.
We go to the doctors to try and figure out what is wrong to find a solution. Our friends and family come to our aid and offer support. Physical illness, as difficult as they are, can grow our mental strength and bring out the best in those who care for us. Just as the physical body can fall ill without notice, so too can the state of mind.
This is called mental illness; it affects the person’s emotions, thought or behaviour, which is not shared by their cultural beliefs, personalities and produce negative effects on other person’s life and their families and community.
Mental health is about the way you think and feel and your ability to deal with ups and downs.
A person with a healthy mind should be able to think clearly, should be able to feel good about himself/herself, feel good about another person, enjoy good relations with others and be able to solve the various problems faced in life.
Mental health has become a global issue.
Last Thursday marked the World Mental Health Day, initiated by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) since 1992.
With this year’s theme: ‘Suicide prevention’, the day is used by many countries and organisations to raise awareness on the issue.
Every 40 seconds, someone losses their life to suicide.
Suicidal behaviour has existed throughout human history but due to several complex factors, it has increased gradually in all parts of the world, and in the past decades, has reached alarming statistical level.
According to WHO, more than 800,000 people die by suicide a year, making it the principal cause of death among people 15-29 years old.
It is often believed that it is only adults who exhibit suicidal behaviours, but it should be made known that many children and young people engage in this kind of behaviour as a result of violence, sexual abuse, bullying and cyberbullying.
And when times are hard, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Suicide is a global public health problem that deserves that attention of all the actors in the field of mental health.
Dr Uma Ambi, the Principal Advisor of Mental Health Services at the Health Department has always been stressing, the challenge now for everyone is to have good mental fitness is a valuable investment.
Many people in the community talk about mind and body as if they are different and separate.
Today, there are many physical, social, cultural and psychological factors that are beginning to emerge.
Mental Health has been neglected for far too long in Papua New Guinea.
Mental health promotion, prevention awareness and education is essential to inform people how to identify stress, mental health problems, to know where to seek medical attention and for those in the community to know where to refer those who need social and mental health services.
Access to such support will go some way to reduce the tragedies of trauma, relieve stresses on individuals, communities and protect the lives of people from harming themselves and others.
It is sad to say that many of our loved ones are indeed suffering silently with remorse.