The upsurge in passionate crimes, filicides, and suicides linked to romantic breakups is creating a climate of concern in Cameroon. Faced with this increase in tragedies, Dr. Pascal Owona Otu, a physician and expert in the prevention of risky behaviors, proposes an analysis focused on mental health.
According to Dr. Owona Otu, mental health is not limited to the absence of psychiatric disorders but encompasses a state of well-being that allows individuals to manage stress, develop their abilities, and contribute to community life, in accordance with the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO). He emphasizes that mental health is a dynamic balance influenced by social, economic, and cultural factors such as income, employment, education level, housing quality, support networks, access to care, and traumatic experiences.
The expert warns against simplifying these tragedies by reducing them to infidelity or the perversity of a partner. He insists that behind every criminal act, there is often an accumulation of vulnerabilities such as emotional instability, emotional dependence, social isolation, economic insecurity, or traumatic history.
In a Cameroonian society marked by youth unemployment, social pressure, and the influence of social networks, romantic relationships can become spaces for excessive projection, notes Dr. Owona Otu. He points out that emotional dependence, sometimes encouraged by certain cultural models, weakens the psychological balance and can lead to breakups experienced as annihilation.
Faced with this situation, Dr. Owona Otu advocates for a preventive approach focused on strengthening social policies, creating decent jobs, improving living conditions, and massively investing in the emotional education of younger generations. He also calls for facilitating access to mental health services and removing the stigma associated with them.
Dr. Owona Otu emphasizes the collective responsibility of families, religious communities, associations, the media, and public authorities in building strong support networks and promoting a culture of dialogue. He stresses that protecting mental health is a collective emergency in the face of the cycle of violence hitting Cameroon. Investing in the mental health of the population, therefore, appears to be a crucial issue for preventing future tragedies and building a more balanced society. Awareness and access to care are key elements in breaking the taboo and providing adequate support to people in distress.
