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Mental Health & Fragility: Lessons learnt during HIV and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of life, yet within this flux, new opportunities have emerged in rethinking fundamental aspects of well-being, while learning from the past. In South Africa, we remain in the grip of multiple intersecting epidemics, some on-going, like our collective fight against HIV, others less visible, like the hard-to-grasp epidemic of mental health and continuous trauma. In conversation with Anastasia Ugwuanyi, Nabeelah Bemath will reflect on students’ recent experiences in coping with COVID-19, while Pierre Brouard will relate these experiences to the many lessons learnt from South Africa’s response to HIV/AIDS.

 Additional Resources

  • LifeLine National Counselling Line (24 hours) 0861 322 322
  • AIDS Helpline (24 hours) 0800-012-322
  • Stop Gender Based Violence Helpline(24 hours) 0800-150-150
  • South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)
  • Dr Reddy's Help Line 0800 21 22 23
  • Cipla 24hr Mental Health Helpline 0800 456 789
  • Pharmadynamics Police &Trauma Line 0800 20 50 26
  • Adcock Ingram Depression and Anxiety Helpline 0800 70 80 90
  • ADHD Helpline 0800 55 44 33
  • Department of Social Development Substance Abuse Line 24hr helpline 0800 12 13 14 SMS 32312
  • Suicide Crisis Line 0800 567 567
  • SADAG Mental Health Line 011 234 4837
  • Akeso Psychiatric Response Unit 24 Hour 0861 435 787
  • Cipla Whatsapp Chat Line (9am-4pm, 7 days a week) 076 882 2775
  • 24 hour Healthcare Workers Care Network Helpline 0800 21 21 21 SMS 43001
  • NPOWERSA Helpline 0800 515 515 SMS 43010
  • Family Life Centre, (011) 788 4784
  • Narcotics Anonymous (NA), 0861 00 6962
  • Alcoholics Anonymous South Africa 0861 435 722

Pierre Brouard

Pierre is the Deputy of the CSA&G and a registered Clinical Psychologist. He has worked in HIV since the mid 1980’s and at the CSA&G since 2001 as a manager, researcher, writer, facilitator and teacher. His interests include sexualities, gender, diversity, transformation and human rights in the context of discrimination --  working against shame, depression and stigmatisaion. His work extends to attention to mental health challenges and he has been drawn into advising schools and higher education institutions seeking mutually respectful learning communities and addressing diversity themes. The  mental health challenges of the current pandemic for young people has been of special concern to him -- with his skills and insights being drawn upon. Pierre also is an external examiner for MA theses, a peer reviewer for a number of journals, sits on the board of the Human Rights Development Initiative, is a member of the Executive of the Sexuality and Gender Division of the Psychological Society of South Africa, is a member of the Tuks AIDS Reference Group and has served on the Transformation Committee of the Faculty of Humanities.

Nabeelah Bemath

Nabeelah Bemath is a registered research psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. She works as an academic coordinator of the Bachelor of Health Sciences degree at the University of Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Health Sciences, and a sessional lecturer in the University’s Department of Psychology. Through her dual work roles, Nabeelah’s work has involved research supervision, the teaching of research design and methodology, and student mentoring and support. Her work in the Faculty of Health Sciences has also involved curriculum oversight and development. Her research interests are primarily focused on public mental health, cognitive neuropsychology, and cognitive neuropsychological assessment in the South African context. Nabeelah is also engaged in research within other Health Science disciplines, including research related to the teaching and learning of Health Sciences students. Nabeelah is currently an additional member of the executive committee of the Psychological Society of South Africa’s Division for Research and Methodology.

Dr. Anastasia Ugwuanyi

Dr. Anastasia Ugwuanyi is a senior lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care at the Faculty of Health Sciences, WITS University. She also holds a Masters in Family Medicine from the University of Edinburgh. Originally educated in Nigeria, she also has a postgraduate diploma in Public Health from the University of Liverpool. She currently coordinates the integration of the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro medical students at the University of the Witwatersrand, in preparation for internship as part of a multi-disciplinary team of committed clinical educators.

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