Dr Melané van Zyl, Board Member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists

Topic: The Mental Health toll on South Africa’s first responders Angle: Behind the uniforms of police officers, paramedics, and firefighters are people carrying enormous emotional weight. With 300 police suicides reported in the past seven years and rising cases of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, South Africa’s first responders are struggling in silence. Dr Melané van Zyl joins us to discuss the mental health crisis among those who protect and serve, the barriers to care, and what can be done to support those who are always first on the scene, but often last to receive help.