The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health of South African Youth and What Inkululeko is Doing to Support

By: La-Tina Graham

COVID-19 turned the world upside down for everyone. It has also had a significant impact on the mental health of South African youth. In the early days of the pandemic, South Africa had one of the world’s strictest lockdowns, with movement confined to just one’s home, to prevent spreading the virus.

Similar to youth in many other places around the world, youth in South Africa became stressed, frustrated, and anxious because of lockdown. Inkululeko serves youth beginning in grade eight in Makhanda, a South African town situated in the heart of the Eastern Cape Province. In response to the pandemic’s overwhelming effects on mental health, the organization supports South African youth by creating a safe space for physical and mental health improvement; Inkululeko began offering outdoor adventures for learners, which allows them to connect with one another as well as with Inkululeko staff.

As of March 2022, there were an estimated 3,648,968 positive COVID tests and about 97,520 deaths in South Africa. The government has loosened regulations, but there have been lingering effects on the mental health of people in the country. During the lockdown, South African youth experienced post-traumatic stress and even depression. South Africa has experienced many public health crises before, including but not limited to HIV/AIDS. The duration and severity of COVID-19 likely triggered PTSD in the youth from past pandemics. Domestic violence, which was already a massive problem in South Africa, has also spiked following the pandemic. “During the first week of the lockdown in South Africa, 87,000 cases of domestic and interpersonal violence were reported.” (Joska, J.A., Andersen, L., Rabie, S., et al.)

Inkululeko's goal is to create a safe place for youths and to help build a better community. The nonprofit organization works to improve the health of the youths by offering activities such as outdoor camping, overnight trips including one at Hobbiton on Hogsback in the Eastern Cape Province, tutoring services, and after-school transportation. Inkululeko also collaborates with other organizations to help the community and youths come together to make sustainable change.

Initiatives like these help to increase positive mental and physical health. “Many South Africans suffer from the “protean sequelae of prolonged, repeated trauma,” resulting in complex PTSD. Trauma associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will exacerbate existing mental health conditions'' (Naidu, T). Implementing home lockdowns within South Africa proved catastrophic to South African youth, as it damaged mental health and further exacerbated an already prominent issue. “This is a big request for a community that already battles neuropsychological strain, especially during a pandemic and a restrictive lockdown that had the ability to weaken the mental health of even the more fortunate individuals in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown gave rise to peritraumatic distress, depression, and anxiety” (Matatiele, M., Stiegler, N., & Bouchard, J. P.). 

To combat these challenges, Inkululeko is spreading awareness about community challenges. The organization is actively brainstorming ideas for social content that will both positively contribute to the community and allow youth to get out of the house and explore their outdoor surroundings. The organization also provides social media initiatives that help members of the community find sense and purpose and offers tutoring and a safe space for learners to build themselves within the community. Inkululeko cannot lessen the physical toll the pandemic has taken on South Africa, but it can continue assisting the youth of the community to improve their mental and physical health.

References

Joska, J. A., Andersen, L., Rabie, S., Marais, A., Ndwandwa, E. S., Wilson, P., King, A., & Sikkema, K. J. (n.d.). Covid-19: Increased risk to the mental health and safety of women living with HIV in South Africa. AIDS and behavior. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32347405/

Matatiele, M., Stiegler, N., & Bouchard, J. P. (2021). Tri-infection: Tuberculosis, HIV, COVID-

19 and the already strained South African health system. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 96, 5–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.06.007

Naidu, T. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. Psychological Trauma:

Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(5), 559–561.