Health

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

By Thulasizwe City of Ekurhuleni 1275

October marks Mental Health Awareness Month on the National Health Calendar, shining a light on the importance of good mental health. People with strong exteriors may quietly battle their own struggles. Anxiety, depression, burnout, and grief can all affect our everyday lives.

The City held Health Awareness Day on 10 October 2025 at Edenpark Clinic, offering community education on mental health and services such as counselling, HIV and prostate cancer testing, cholesterol screening, pap smears, and family planning.

This event aimed to empower the community regarding mental health.

“Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual can realise their own abilities, cope with the normal stress of life; they are able to work productively and contribute positively to the community,” explained Dr Bulelwa Muganda, a psychiatrist at the clinic.

Types of mental illness:

· Depression
· Bipolar
· Suicidal
· Intellectual disability
· Anxiety
· Schizophrenia
· Cerebral palsy
· Epilepsy
· Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
· Autism

Signs and Symptoms:

· Sadness/low moods
· Self-isolation
· Insomnia
· Loss of appetite
· Fatigue
· Suicidal
· Loss of interest in doing things, ie hobbies
· Anxious

Get help:

Seek help by visiting your nearest healthcare facility for assistance.