In 2025, mental health in Cape Verde is no longer whispered about in private corners—it is steadily becoming a national conversation shaping policy, education, and community life.
After declaring 2024 the “Year of Mental Health,” the island nation has carried the momentum into 2025 with renewed government action and public engagement. At the heart of this shift is a proposed Mental Health Bill aimed at replacing the country’s outdated 1973 law. The new legislation seeks to protect human rights, promote community-based care, and integrate mental health support into schools and workplaces—marking a decisive move away from institutional isolation toward inclusion and prevention.
For young people, the stakes are particularly high. Recent reports indicate that about 11 per cent of adolescents experience depression, driven by poverty, emotional distress, and relationship pressures. Education stakeholders are now calling for counselling services and mental health literacy to be embedded in schools, as experts warn that untreated youth mental health challenges could undermine long-term national development.
Beyond policy halls, awareness campaigns are reshaping public attitudes. Initiatives such as “Yellow September,” supported by institutions like Caixa, have encouraged open discussions about emotional well-being, while universities and civil society groups are hosting dialogues on social media pressure, anxiety, and modern stressors. These efforts are gradually chipping away at long-standing stigma.
Community values remain central to Cape Verde’s approach. Mental health advocates, supported by the African Union’s broader outlook on psychosocial well-being, emphasize family responsibility, social cohesion, and meeting basic needs such as food security. This approach gained urgency following the devastating floods of August 2025, which displaced families and heightened trauma-related stress. Humanitarian groups, including the Red Cross, responded with emergency relief and psychosocial support, underscoring the mental health toll of climate-related disasters.
Despite progress, challenges persist. Access to services remains uneven, with shortages of trained professionals, high patient-to-nurse ratios, and limited funding slowing implementation. Experts caution that awareness without adequate care risks deepening frustration among those seeking help.
Still, Cape Verde’s 2025 mental health trajectory reflects a country in transition—one determined to move mental well-being from the margins to the mainstream of public health. By blending legislation, education, disaster response, and community values, the island nation is laying the groundwork for a more holistic and humane mental healthcare system—one conversation, classroom, and community at a time.
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