In-depth: The complex relationship between TB and mental health
Falling ill with TB and all the disruption and stress that goes along with it can take a toll on someone’s mental health, and mental health problems can in turn make someone more vulnerable to TB.
Though these interconnections between TB and mental health are complex, they are important to understand, especially in a high TB burden country like South Africa where over 300 000 people are estimated to fall ill with the disease every year. TB is thought to claim between 50 000 and 60 000 lives per year.
While South Africa has a large TB programme, Spotlight’s reporting in recent years suggests that mental health services in the public sector are generally falling short and there is little planning or capacity to support people who have both mental illness and TB. South Africa’s existing mental health policy expired in 2020.
Read the full story at Spotlight.
