Empowerment of young adults in a disadvantaged community to improve mental health among their peers

Abstract

In the absence of appropriate mental health services in disadvantaged communities with many social challenges, such as Mamelodi, South Africa, young adults with a passion to help others were empowered for civic engagement to promote the mental health of their peers through peer-led interventions. Snowball sampling was used to identify seven young adults aged between 18 and 28 years who wished to be part of the empowering process. During eight empowerment sessions, the young adults planned and implemented an intervention that focused on fostering mental health literacy among their peers and circulating information on available support structures. This included an interview at the community radio station, also livestreamed on social media, during which mental health challenges among the youth were discussed. To accompany this, they created a video on depression and suicide, which they shared on their social media accounts and on the community radio station’s Facebook page. In support of their efforts to destigmatise mental health conditions and promote health-seeking behaviour, they distributed a pamphlet with the contact details of institutions and organisations that provide mental health support. They intend to broaden the intervention by hosting talks and workshops at schools.

The young adult group experienced difficulties with hosting workshops and school talks as the service providers and non-governmental organisations they approached for assistance cited resource constraints or limited availability. During a focus group discussion that was held after the intervention had been implemented, the young adult group discussed their experiences while developing and implementing the intervention. Notwithstanding the obstacles they faced, they reported feeling empowered as they were acting as advocates for mental health. The process fostered facets of psychological empowerment, such as a critical awareness of the environment, the development of competencies and confidence, and resource mobilisation. The process contributed to their psychological and social well-being, which could be seen in improvements in their self-awareness and emotion regulation skills, and they had come to perceive themselves as valuable members of society. Findings suggested that their peers benefitted as they not only received information about mental health and where to access mental health services, but also received social support during their interactions with the young adults during the project.