MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS FOR WOLMARANDSTAD OFFICIALS

Integrated Employee Health and Wellness (IEHW) of Community Safety and Transport Management gathered held a mental health workshop at Wolmarandstad Traffic Station. July is observed mental health Month, and the aim was to empower officials about mental health and how to overcome this pandemic effectively.

The main objective of the workshop was to educate them and make use of the available resources offered by the IEHW and government in general. This will assist in bettering to deal with mental health issues within the work place.

Acting station manager, Principal Provincial Inspector Mahlwane welcomed all. “We thank the department for offering us this opportunity and will indeed make use of it,” said PPI Mahlwane.

IEHW Manager Ms. Innocentia Selomane delved into the purpose of day, encouraging officials to prioritise their mental health, as it is a key contributor to productivity in the workplace. “As we observe mental health in July, we want to reiterate the importance of participating in engagements on mental health, and exchange knowledge for better understanding” said Ms. Selomane.

EAP Counselor Refilwe Mabe also took to the podium to share the impact of chronic diseases on mental health, with reference to HIV/AIDS, which is considered a major contributor to mental health issues in society.

“We have a long way to go with eradicating HIV/AIDS. For us to succeed in this fight, we need to know our status and make use of various preventative measures such as condomising. It is also important to know that HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence, but a test of strength and resilience, which can only be conquered by taking your prescribed treatment”, said Ms Mabe.

The guest speaker Warrant Officer Kgomotso Aphane responsible for Pyschological Services from SAPS Potchefstroom graced this important activity of the day.

She delved into key factors that influence mental health and physical health illnesses and how they’re linked to some of the past traumas and office stress issues.

“We tend to abuse our partners physically or emotionally because of situations we find ourselves in. This does more harm than good and more often than not aggravates the situation. We should therefore learn to confront issues head on, and open up to those around us in pursuit for their support”, concluded Aphane.

PPI Lerato Kgaswane in her closing remarks said that the workshop was an eye opener and appreciated the department’s efforts to give support to those who suffer from mental illnesses due to various socio-economic factors.