IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

The month of October has been declared Mental Health Awareness Month with the objective of educating the public about mental health and to reduce the stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness. Mental health problems such as depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and stress are common, and affect individuals, families and the broader community. In addition, they have a direct impact on workplaces through increased absenteeism and reduced productivity, among others. Some mental health problems are the result of a complex interplay between biological, psychological, social and environmental factors. An estimated 400 million people worldwide suffer from mental or neurological disorders or from psychosocial problems. Mental illness can be treated and prevented; however, more often people do not seek treatment due to the stigma attached to the illness. Recently it has been reported that very few South Africans seek treatment for mental disorders. With October being Mental Health Awareness Month, government aims to reach as many people as possible in order to raise awareness about mental health and to reduce the stigma attached to it.
Included in this month’s issue of Mbalo Brief are our monthly articles such as the Producer price index (PPI), Mining, Motor trade sales, Tourism and migration and Land transport survey. Once again, we have our monthly crossword puzzle to tickle those brain cells and we also provide the solutions to the September 2017 puzzle.
Articles published in this issue are based on results of industry surveys conducted for the months ranging from July to August 2017.

Download: Mbalo Brief – October 2017