Category: MENTAL HEALTH

Gambling: The New Mental Health Crisis Stalking Zimbabwe

Healthtimes

By Method Moyo (Counselling Psychology Intern) Gambling, while often viewed as a form of entertainment, can lead to addiction and devastating consequences. Take, for example, Tawanda (not his real name), a 32-year-old man from the Makoni area of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Initially a promising professional, Tawanda’s casual gambling evolved into a compulsive behavior fueled by cognitive distortions such as the illusion of control and the gambler’s fallacy. Despite warnings from family and friends, he continued to gamble, ultimately losing his job due to absenteeism and poor performance. Financial instability followed, and…

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The silent weight of love – a mother’s journey raising a child with disability

Healthtimes

Abstract The birth of a child with a disability presents significant psychological challenges for mothers, often resulting in heightened emotional distress, including grief, depression, and anxiety. Mothers raising children with disabilities often bear a profound, yet silent, emotional and physical burden.  This article reviews the psychological effects experienced by these mothers, identifies contributing factors, and discusses evidence-based interventions to mitigate adverse outcomes. Understanding these dynamics is critical for healthcare providers to offer comprehensive care and support. Introduction   The arrival of a new-born typically signifies hope and joy. However, when a…

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Navigating the Midlife Crisis: Understanding Its Impact on Mental Health and Strategies for Resilience

Healthtimes

By Method Moyo Tariro and Blessing (pseudonyms) have been married for over twenty years. From the outside, they appear settled with two grown children, a modest home in Kwekwe, and years of shared memories. However, inside their quiet house, a storm brews. As the Shona proverb says, “Chakafukidza dzimba matenga.” Tariro, now 47, feels invisible. Her days are filled with caregiving, church commitments, and the struggle of adjusting to a body she no longer recognizes. Blessing, 52, is restless—questioning his career, masculinity, and whether he has lived up to the…

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ZRP Warns After Mentally Ill Patients Kill Eight in Karoi, Bulilima

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has raised alarm over a disturbing rise in violent killings linked to individuals with mental health challenges, after two separate incidents in Karoi and Bulilima claimed the lives of at least eight people within a week. The latest incident occurred in Makoni Village, Tengwe, Karoi, on August 18, 2025, where a 55-year-old woman, a child and a teenager were brutally killed. Police said Patrick Makufa, a mental health patient, allegedly struck Constaine Mabheka (55) several times on the head with an axe…

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The hidden health crisis: how to recognize if you’re in burnout

Michael Gwarisa

We’ve recently started to talk more about burnout, yet it remains a hidden health problem. That’s because people experiencing burnout often feel ashamed to speak about it. I know this firsthand, as I felt that same shame, in my professional life before becoming a psychologist. I suffered from burnout while working as a media entrepreneur for over 10 years, and it burned me out. But few people knew about my burnout crises back then. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what was happening to me, mainly because no one…

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The Dark Psychology of Prophets: How Narcissistic Leaders Exploit Mental Health to Control Followers

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Have you ever wondered why a grown man, well-respected in his community, perhaps even holding a doctorate, would roll in the mud and eat grass at the instruction of a self-proclaimed prophet who never finished school? The answer often lies in the psychological forces at play — mental health issues that empower charismatic yet narcissistic religious leaders while disempowering and psychologically entrapping their followers. These leaders often display traits of narcissism, delusion, or sociopathy, while their congregants, whether through trauma bonding, spiritual manipulation, or Stockholm Syndrome, end…

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Africa CDC Hosts Mental Health Leadership Program In Harare to Address Growing Crisis in Africa

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa A 10-day Mental Health Leadership Program has kicked off in Harare, Zimbabwe, amid growing calls for governments to prioritize mental health as a public health emergency, HealthTimes has learned. The training program, aimed at equipping leaders from various sectors with the necessary skills and capacity to address the growing burden of mental health-related challenges on the continent, is being hosted by the University of Zimbabwe in collaboration with the  Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC). The programme is supported by Wellcome Trust and will run from…

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Zimbabwe to Begin Drug Testing for Public Transport and Mshikashika Drivers

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has received drug testing equipment worth US$60,000 from the Abused Substances and Diagnostics Management (ASDM) project in an effort to curb drug- and alcohol-induced road traffic accidents. The equipment will be deployed nationwide to screen public transport drivers for intoxication. Zimbabwe has one of the highest road traffic accident rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. Data from the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe shows that between January and May 2024, the country recorded 21,183 crashes and 860 fatalities—an average of 141 accidents and nearly six deaths per day.…

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High Rates of Depression Among GBV Survivors in Zimbabwe Raise Concern

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The prevalence of mental health disorders, particularly depression, among women who experience Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Zimbabwe is estimated to be around 77%. According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, nearly 40% of women and girls in Zimbabwe experience physical violence in their lifetime, while 12% of women aged 15-49 have suffered sexual violence. Speaking at a recent Data to Policy meeting in Harare, Mildred Mapani, an economist in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, and Small and Medium Enterprise Development, emphasized the need to…

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Drug Users Call for Affordable Public Rehabilitation Centres

Kuda Pembere

By Kuda Pembere, recently in Gweru Persons Who Use and Inject Drugs (PWUID) have urged the government to expedite the establishment of public rehabilitation centres, citing unaffordable costs at private facilities. Currently, there are no state-owned rehab centres, but the government claims to have identified suitable locations across all provinces for future facilities. During a two-day harm reduction workshop organized by SAYWHAT in Gweru, Jonathan, a participant and drug user, posed a question to Chipo Ziweva, the Mental Health Officer from the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s Bulawayo Provincial…

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