At least ten mental cases per day are referred to the main civil hospital in South Sudan’s capital, according to the head of the Psychiatric Department at Juba Teaching Hospital Kasimiro Kenyi.
Kenyi explained that physiological trauma cases are often related to poverty, social and financial problems, among other factors. He noted that young people between the ages of 18 to 36 years are more affected by psychological problems.
“This age is more affected than the elders. Why? Because they have a lot of problems to think about – no education, no jobs – so they resort into drinking alcohol, eating what they call mairuji and so forth and then opium so that it helps them but instead it causes them problems instead of helping them so this is one of the major causes,” he said, speaking on Radio Miraya.
Kenyi added that the country needs a specialized hospital to treat psychiatric cases.