Women’s mental stresses

AS WOMEN take on the roles of income-generator, teacher, helper, adviser and caregiver, they are increasingly at risk of burn-out.

Janine Roos, of the Mental Health Information Centre at the Medical Research Council, says while men are beginning to help more at home, it’s been estimated that mothers still spend twice as much time with their children as dads do.

“Women are participating in the workforce as well as shouldering a great deal of responsibility at home. From early on we get the message that we can achieve anything if we work hard enough.

“Achieve more, be the best, push to the top, reach your goals, have no limits. It’s inevitable that the pace of life, work overload, job insecurity and increasingly high expectations will eventually catch up with us if we are not mindful about the danger of burn-out,” she said.

Burn-out is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stresses and is usually job-related. It is characterised by inefficiency, exhaustion, cynicism, and withdrawing from people and activities you once enjoyed.

“It is an insidious process that creeps up on you.

“It becomes progressively worse if there’s no intervention to break the cycle,” Roos said.

Burn-out did not just affect the individual, but could have catastrophic consequences for families, colleagues and friendships, she added.

She said the centre received regular calls relating to burnout.

“Many senior business managers still do not believe stress, anxiety or depression is a serious enough reason for employees to take time off work,” she said.

Crick Lund, of the Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, said it was important that women bear in mind that physical and mental health went hand-in-hand.

“Women face stresses, and it’s very difficult to juggle their many different roles. It is important for women to look after their mental health, through finding time to be with their families, eating well, sleeping well and maintaining their overall health,” Lund said.

The stresses of daily life combined with traumatic experiences or a genetic predisposition could result in depression and anxiety.

Prayers for wildlife

CHURCHES in communities around the Kruger National Park would hold a special service to help combat wildlife crime, especially rhino poaching, SA National Parks (SANParks) said yesterday .

SANParks and the Kruger National Park would come together with local churches from the park’s neighbouring communities at the Skukuza soccer field on Saturday to pray for the protection of wildlife and the rangers and to condemn wildlife crime. – ANA

Double lucky

DUBAI: A man who survived the crashlanding of an Emirates airliner is now twice lucky after winning $1 million (R13.5 million) in an airport duty-free sweepstake.

Mohamed Basheer, a 62-year-old from India who works at an auto dealership’s body shop in Dubai said he would continue working at the body shop as a fleet operations co-ordinator..

He will use the money to support his family and start a charity in his home town in India’s Kerala state – AP

Law boss fired

GABORONE: Outgoing Zambian President Edgar Lungu fired suspended national Director of Public Prosecutions Mutembo Nchito and replaced him with his deputy, before elections today, after a tribunal found him unfit to continue in his job. However, the appointment of Lilian Siyuni remained subject to ratification by the post-election parliament. – ANA

New hotel set to open

LIMPOPO’S new Park Inn by Radisson Hotel that is expected to open in Polokwane by the end of the year will create new jobs.

Park Inn Polokwane chief executive Mofasi Lekota said the hotel would have more than 150 rooms, cost more than R150 million, and “usher in a new era of business and leisure tourism in the province”. – ANA