Mental Health

latest news & developments

Who Cares for the Carers? Malnutrition and its Mental Health Toll

As severe acute malnutrition affects hundreds of thousands of children in northern Nigeria, Doctors Without Borders is addressing an overlooked crisis: the severe emotional and…

Litigation: US attorney Matthew Bergman (right) in discussion with retired Western Cape High Court judge Patric Gamble at Stellenbosch University’s International Conference on Children’s Rights. Bergman is on a drive to “internationalise” litigation aimed at holding online platforms accountable for harmful design. Photo: Robyn-Leigh Abrahams/SCPS Photos

Could South African children sue Big Tech over ‘harmful design’?

Following high-profile US rulings against Meta and YouTube over addictive design, global litigation is targeting tech giants—and South African courts could be the next…

Mental healthcare needs our support

Medical doctor and advocate Dr Samke Ngcobo shares how combining clinical expertise with lived experience is essential to reforming mental healthcare systems and ending stigma.

Kwanele Asante in New York in September 2025, where she addressed the United Nations General Assembly as a person with lived experience of noncommunicable diseases. “The glasses still come out when I speak on big platforms,” she jokes. Photo: Mia Malan

For 20 years, Kwanele Asante told health systems to listen to patients. Then the UN gave her the mic

South African lawyer and bioethicist Kwanele Asante transformed her personal health challenges with breast cancer and chronic illness into decades of fierce advocacy for people…

To stop violent men, look at the boys they were

To end South Africa's crisis of violence against women, research shows we must look at the boy before the violent man and intervene where childhood trauma, poverty, and…

At the digital storytelling workshop in KwaZulu-Natal, brainstorms about extreme weather events and what it feels like when they hit are hung on the walls. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Can flood survivors’ stories make climate science better?

Across four African countries, the Wema project uses digital storytelling to empower flood and cyclone survivors to turn their traumatic experiences into vital evidence, bridging…

Ilembe finally set to get government psychiatric facility after years of waiting

The KwaZulu-Natal government has launched a R148 million project to build the Ilembe district's first dedicated public psychiatric hospital, ending years of patient transfers.

Masculinity: Through mentorship, life skills and emotional support, ADOPT A SON encourages boys to question harmful stereotypes about masculinity and build healthier identities. Photo: Supplied

Raising better boys

Westonaria-based non-profit ADOPT A SON is redefining masculinity and supporting vulnerable boys through early mentorship, emotional guidance, and family empowerment.

Clement Manyathela returns to Vaalbank to open pathways for rural learners

Broadcaster Clement Manyathela has launched a foundation at his former school in Vaalbank, offering psychosocial support, career guidance, and mentorship to empower rural learners.

Character study: The film follows teenager Logan Maart, who despite her quiet demeanour has developed a passion for spinning

Spinning from zero to infinity

Julia Jansch's award-winning documentary 'From Dust We Spin' explores the unique South African motorsport of car spinning through the eyes of Logan Maart, a teenager finding her…

Müminah Cornelius

Some waves leave more than footprints in the sand — they change lives. At 23, Müminah Cornelius is helping children discover confidence, resilience and hope through the healing…

Jamie-Lee Davids

For Jamie-Lee Davids, healing often begins where the ocean meets the shore. As Surf Therapy training manager at Waves for Change, she is helping redefine youth mental healthcare…

When sewage floods your home, it floods your mind too

In Nairobi's Mukuru kwa Reuben, residents face a grim reality: homes repeatedly flooded by sewage due to dysfunctional drainage. This article explores the profound psychological…

Building a strong team, a group of lawyers took to hiking to fight burnout

Lawyers swop robes for hiking boots as new initiative tackles burnout

Amid growing concern over burnout and poor mental health in the legal profession, a new initiative aimed at helping lawyers connect outside the workplace has launched its first…

Professional affordable treatment for substance dependence disorder

Substance dependence disorder can affect anyone, but recovery is achievable with professional, effective, and affordable treatment. Discover how quality rehabilitation is…