Mental health is a topic shrouded in silence and stigma in many societies in Uganda.
The situation is not helped by a general lack of facilities for those suffering from mental challenges, amid low annual budgetary allocations for enhanced equipment purchases to the crucial wing of public health.
Indeed, a Lancet Psychiatry correspondence reported that about 14 million people out of a population of 43.7 million, or nearly 32 per cent, were affected by mental illness in 2022, a jump from 24.2 percent the previous year. Research attributed the problem to “persistent social stigma and taboos surrounding access to mental health services, compounded by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many hospitals converted their mental health units into COVID-19 isolation units.” Not much has improved, though, even as the numbers of those seeking mental health services increase.
So under-resourced is the primary health care system in Uganda that, according to the Lancet study, there were only 35 psychiatrists nationwide, approximately one such specialist for every one million people. Most of the mental health workers were based in urban centres, leaving 83 per cent of the population in rural areas without access to mental health services; their plight is largely ignored by the media.
However, an opportunity for the media to right the wrongs presented itself on October 10, 2025 during the World Mental Day. Yet, a quick look at how three media outlets reported on the event returned a damning verdict: content shallowness, staleness, and a general casual approach in coverage.
For example, Sunrise went to town with the title, Kasese District Faces Spike in Youth Mental Cases from an event it covered from Kasese a day before the celebrations.Why the problem? “Community leaders and professionals point to early pregnancies, domestic violence, substance abuse, and negative peer pressure especially within schools as the key drivers behind this growing crisis.”
The publication then quoted the area police boss –who reported 10 suicide cases over the last nine months- and a few officials of non-state agencies. The story did not provide data to demonstrate the extent of the problem. Also, no deep and researched information on the causes of the spike in mental illness among the adolescents in Kasese district were provided so as to inform anticipated interventions.
The Sunrise story was similar to that ran by Kamwokya Times, only that the latter headlined it as,‘Mental Health Crisis Deepens in Kasese as Youth Bear the Brunt.’ Predictably, it did not give details on the problem or indicate where those affected could get help.
Over at Kasese Guide Radio, the station covered the World Mental Day and published the story, ‘Kasese registered over 600 mental illnesses.’ In it, reporter Augustine Mumbere quoted the area District Health Officer, Amon Bwambale as saying the district “last year recorded a total of 642 mental health cases.” Of these, 160 were adults whose conditions were linked to drug abuse. What did the good doctor say were the other causes? Poverty, unemployment, stress, and negative social influences. The Kasese Municipal Health Officer, Joy Mohindo, advised those affected to seek guidance and counselling services.
The sampled reports were yawing for deeper research to ‘bring the story home.’ For example, Uganda’s top academic institution, Makerere University’s School of Public Health, published a powerful report about mental health on July 12, 2025. Written by Davidson Ndyabahika, the sobering findings came from a study by a team of local and foreign public health scholars in Iganga and Mukono districts under the title, ‘Ugandan Study Flags Girls and Senior Students as a Mental High-Risk Group.’
According to the study, girls bear a higher emotional burden and had nearly two times higher odds of suffering from emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression than their male peers. “Ugandan girls often face intense pressure to conform to gender roles while also navigating issues like body image, harassment, and future uncertainty,” it said, even as the researchers called for gender-sensitive national health policy “tailored to Uganda’s context.”
Lesson learnt? That reporting on mental health issues demands empathy, driven by a deep understanding of a society’s dynamic economic, cultural and social realities.
