YOUNG African Christians are receiving support with mental health through an initiative backed by the World Council of Churches (WCC).

The new online forum is encouraging young Christians to promote mental health in their faith community. The initiative is a collaboration between the WCC, the All Africa Youth Network, and the African Christian Health Associations Platform.

The director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing, Dr Manoj Kurian, said that a rise in mental ill-health and substance abuse among young people, together with limited access to professional support, meant that faith communities were vital to promoting mental health. Faith could also help people to deal with stress, he said.

In an online consultation with young African Christians last week, he said: “Given the limited access to mental-health care and professionals, it is vital that faith communities — which are present all over the world, with networks and support systems in place — can be mobilised to promote mental health. A complex interplay of individual, social, and structural stresses and vulnerabilities determines mental health; so faith has potential to reduce vulnerabilities.”

He urged those on the call to “do something enjoyable and meaningful to you every day. Practise stress-management techniques, such as mindfulness, meditation, or deep-breathing exercises.”

Participants, many of whom were young people from member Churches of the All Africa Conference of Churches, spoke about their experience of mental-health challenges and drug and substance abuse. They also set up a working group to develop an ecumenical programme on promoting mental health and eliminating drug and substance abuse.