– psychologist urges Guyanese as elections draw near

THIS year, Guyana’s Regional and General Elections will be held on March 2. As weeks lead up to that ‘highly charged’ time, local Psychologist Balogun Osunbiyi is advising citizens to take care of their mental wellness.

Osunbiyi, who is the immediate past President of the Guyana Psychological Association, explained that persons who are in “heightened” or “charged” environments such as an election or sport season, are more susceptible to experiencing feelings that may have an impact on their mental wellness. Or, in some cases, he noted that persons, who may have had certain conditions prior, may be triggered by the ‘charged environment.’

“Persons who are directly involved and of course supporters, they have a heightened sense of expectancy. If those expectancies are not managed properly at the individual level, you can end up with cases of persons experiencing certain symptoms,” the psychologist explained.

These symptoms, according to him, include: insomnia, or sleeplessness; eating disorders, such as loss of appetite or binge-eating; shaking of hands, due to anxiety; and for some, an increasing resort to prescription pills or even illicit substances.

And according to him, these are all factors that affect a person’s “mental wellness.” However, he believes that persons may be very hasty in labelling something a “mental illness,” or that their “mental health” is being negatively affected. But in fact, he posited that each person must understand the distinction between mental wellness and mental health.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as “… a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” It, therefore, is not simply an absence of a mental illness.

The psychologist explained that mental health is the overarching elements, while mental wellness is a component of this.

“When we talk about mental wellness, we talk about how it is you are taking care of your mental well-being, emotionally, physically, intellectually, spiritually and financially,” he explained.

To ensure one’s mental wellness is taken care of during this election season, he suggested that persons may meditate, disconnect from their electronic devices for a certain period of time daily, reserve quality time for friends and family, or even listen to soft, calming music. These are all ways persons can ‘unwind’, according to him.

While conducting research for this article, the Guyana Chronicle engaged random citizens to understand just how their mental wellness was being affected during these weeks leading up to the elections. Persons highlighted that they could sometimes feel “stressed”, “angry”, “upset” or “annoyed.” Some also indicated that they did not believe that they were being affected in anyway.

Noah Rajak, a young citizen who was willing to speak on the record, indicated that the political climate in Guyana oftentimes enrages him.

In Guyana, one major problem often spotlighted and possibly exacerbated during the election season is the ethnic and racial division of the country. Roughhousing during elections campaigning often provides some leeway for this to occur, particularly when some parties appeal to their ‘base.’ This, in particular, is what upsets the young man.

However, he shared, “I get angry, I get upset, but I try to channel it to my God and I let him heal me.”

On the other hand, Akeila (not real name) indicated that the campaigning done during this time may often “overwhelm” her. She abstains from political rallies and meetings; yet, it is permeation of political posts and ads on social media that causes her to “take breaks” from their social media. And if she doesn’t disconnect from her social media platforms, she would skip or scroll past the posts and ads.

In both these instances, each person indicated how they would take measures to ensure that they protect their mental wellness. To this end, the psychologist explained that factors to consider include the level of expectancy, the number of ‘stressors’ in the charged environment, and if the individual coping mechanism is sufficient to help with what they are required to process.

Another dimension to consider is the post-election expectancy, where the results of the election may be favourable to some but not so favourable to others.

“If persons’ expectancies were not managed adequately at the individual level, emotionally they can find themselves feeling symptoms of depression because the results were not what they expected,” he explained. “It varies from human being to human being.”

PRE-CONDITIONS

Both in the election period and the post-election period, however, the psychologist stressed that the pre-conditions of a person must be taken into account. If an individual is already unable to adequately cope with the normal stresses of life, and then becomes affected by the “highly-charged” environment, someone’s mental wellness may be adversely affected.

“This, as they say, is the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” Balogun said. “If someone is not processing (their emotions) healthily, and they join any intense environment, of course they can be at-risk,” he added.