Society should support the youth with mental health problems to help them recover faster, medical professionals have said.  

The call was made on Tuesday as Rwanda joined the rest of the world to commemorate the International Youth Day.

The day, which is annually marked on August 12, is an occasion to draw attention to cultural and legal issues surrounding the youth.

This year’s event was marked under the theme: "Youth and Mental Health.”

A UN report released recently says the youth with mental health conditions often experience stigma in their communities, which, in turn, leads to exclusion and discourages them from seeking help for fear of being negatively ‘labelled’.

In Rwanda, the day was marked with visits to various hospitals and health centres that offer help to people with mental disorders. Discussions involving the youth were also held.

Speaking in Huye District, Brother Charles Nkubiri, the  director of Ndera Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, said stigmatising those with mental disorders only worsens their situation.

That sometimes deprives the affected individuals of the chances to access treatment, he said.

"Victims sometimes continue to face stigma even after they have been treated,” Nkubiri added.

"Society needs to understand that support to these individuals is crucial for their integration and eventual improvement,” he said. 

Available figures list epilepsy, schizophrenia, mood and mental disorders, among the most frequent psychiatric pathologies in the country.

About 4.7 per cent of the disorders are due to drug abuse and mainly affect the youth.

At the event, the youth were also cautioned against drug abuse.

Alphonse Nkuranga, the executive secretary of the National Youth Council (NYC), said drug abuse could lead youngsters into difficult situations, including mental and behavioural disorders.

He told them to rather invest their efforts in productive activities to improve their welfare.

"You can’t develop nor can you own money when you are involved in drug abuse,” Nkuranga warned.

"There are lots of opportunities surrounding you that you can seize to develop,” he told hundreds of young men and women who had turned up for a discussion in the rural Kinazi sector.

The official also said the government is investing in the fight against the vice in order to ensure a bright future for the country.