MHM Magazine

Issue 2 | 2025 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 9 MHM Veronica (not real name), a once determined and dauntless woman had become a shadow of herself over the past decade having endured series of traumatic events. Her village had been razed during one of the territorial conflicts, and while fleeing the vicinity she’d witnessed the killings of her two children and husband. Veronica, now 58 years, lives in a small suburban community with her only surviving daughter. She struggles with feelings of sadness, apathy, poor concentration, forgetfulness, decline in self care and disrupted sleep. She’s often misunderstood by those around her as she’s considered to have changed from her agreeable nature to a detached person who mumbles intermittently about being the cause of her children’s death. Circling rumours in her community is that she is a witch and responsible for the death of her relatives and other misfortunes faced by certain members in the community. A few weeks back, during one of her wandering moments she missed being lynched by some youths in her new community who were convinced that her pleas for forgiveness are confessions to past misdeeds and deserving of any repercussions. The scenario outlined reflects a growing number of reported experiences among older women in some African communities. Far too often older adults, especially women, have tragically lost their lives due to misconceptions and misinformation perpetuated by those around them. A greater number, although not killed are neglected and left in terrible circumstances that are arguably worse than death. Leaving one to ponder on reasons for such inhumane actions by man to man or plausible causes of “losing touch with reality”. One that readily comes to mind is mental disorder, which is characterised by clinically significant disturbances in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour that’s usually associated with distress or impairment in key areas of functioning. In the story above, there are a few striking symptoms of mental disorders such as undue sadness, loss of interest and poor concentration which can be considered symptoms of depression. While forgetfulness, wandering tendencies and deteriorating self care can suggest dementia. Poor concentration, apathy, sleep disturbances, and guilt feelings can be symptoms of either depression or dementia or even a trauma and stress related disorder like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Although, a distinct diagnosis of a mental disorder is not established in Veronica’s story, the misconceptions and poor awareness of presentations of mental health conditions in her environs are clearly highlighted. Inadequate knowledge on mental disorders perpetuates the stigma, mistreatment and neglect experienced by older adults, especially females. More evidence-based enlightenment initiatives supported by quality research is pivotal in addressing this quagmire, underscoring the need to explore the current landscape of mental health research in Africa among female older adults. Generally, research can be described as a systematic and structured investigation that plays crucial roles in expanding knowledge, providing evidence- based understanding in various fields and improving existing systems. It’s vital in addressing Dr Margaret Isioma Ojeahere Consultant Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Jos University, Nigeria TRANSLATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH FOR AGING WOMEN IN AFRICA: PERSPECTIVES ON DEMENTIA MHM | 2025 | Volume 12 | Issue 2 | Translational Mental Health Research for Aging Women in Africa MHM