Reflective Seeds by Counsellor Seyram

Substance use disorders, depression, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and suicidal behaviour have been reported in the broader literature as the typical and most prevalent mental health problems among the youth population in Ghana and within the Sub-Saharan Africa region (Nyundo et al., 2020; Ohene & Ofori-Atta, 2014). This is a source of grave concern to many stakeholders especially in the educational sector. It worthy to note that educational pursuits are essential for the individual for many reasons; to gain knowledge and information, build capacity, develop goals, and influence employment opportunities. It also enables the individual to learn social skills and soft skills, address social inequality and be responsible contributors to society.  Despite its numerous benefits, the pursuit of education may also be daunting for students irrespective of their age. However, for students who are recovering from any form of mental health conditions (MHC), educational pursuit c...

I recently watched a video online of toddlers between age 3 and 5 years who were in a school dress-up competition. Their task was to dress up by themselves with their underwear, singlet, pair of shoes and socks as well as a P. E. kit. I suppose there were prices to be won along the sentimental feedback from the crowd that was present to cheer them on. As the competition was ongoing, some made steady progress while others were struggling. Of particular interest was one of the girls. She had worn her underwear, shoes and socks in good time. Her pace was fast and it seemed as though she was going to be part of the first batch of winners. However, she faced a setback when she missed wearing her singlet properly. She wore her P. E. shirt over the singlet before realising that her left arm had not fit in properly so she quickly put her arm into the singlet and wore it over the P.E. shirt. She almost immediately realized that she was missing something. She looked around her and saw some of he...

This post is a continuation and concluding part of the two-part series on health check-up. If you haven’t read the first part yet, please access it via https://reflectiveseedsbycounsellorseyram.blogspot.com/2024/04/in-ring-of-life-need-for-health-check.html The first part discusses six reasons why one needs to undergo regular health check-ups. These include the fact that it  is cost effective;  exposes health conditions which are then managed to help alleviate negative effects;  helps to detect most life threatening conditions which happen progressively;  helps to safeguard oneself against risk factors;  helps one to put one’s mind at rest about one’s state of health; and  helps one to appreciate the fact that health is one’s wealth. The present text will present some important tests one can request for at the hospital as part of health screening. 1. Mental Health Screening: This comprises the use of assessment tests or tools, questionnaire, interview and/o...