Document Type
Poster
Date
8-27-2024
Description/Abstract
Mental health stigma remains a significant barrier to accessing and usage of mental health services globally, and Rwanda is no exception. According to the Rwanda Ministry of Health, one in five people between the ages of 14-65 in Rwanda has at least one mental health issue, with depression being the most common (Rwanda Ministry of Health, 2018). Despite the Ministry of Health's efforts to decentralize mental health services at community and health center levels, stigma and prejudices hinder their utilization (Mukamana et al., 2019). “Overall, 61.7% had awareness of mental health services while only 5.3% reported to have used existing services” (Kayiteshonga et al., 2022, p.1). Effective communication strategies are essential for reducing stigma and increasing awareness and utilization of available mental health services. This research explores different communication barriers contributing to mental health stigma in Rwanda and underutilization of available mental health services as well as demonstrates gaps for communication improvement to increase the usage of the available services.
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Dushimirimana, Anitha, "Breaking the Silence: Addressing Stigma on Seeking Professional Mental Health Care in Rwanda Through Effective Communication" (2024). International Programs. 261.
https://surface.syr.edu/eli/261
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
