EXPLAINER | Repeated power cuts take toll on your mental health

The repeated power cuts in several parts of Joburg could result in severe mental health issues for residents, with many at risk of anxiety and depression.

Residents have reported losing food, struggling to work, bathing in cold water and relying on candles, gas and takeaways after failures at City Power’s central substation recently resulted in three outages. The latest one happened on Saturday and has not been resolved.

Several areas in the northern suburbs have experienced outages caused by cable theft.

Ancer said the failure to provide basic infrastructure creates feelings of “distress, hopelessness, frustration, helplessness, fear, cynicism and anxiety”.

“Specifically around electricity, people literally feel powerless. They feel that they cannot do anything,” she said.

Ancer said what may begin as an inconvenience can become a major source of stress when outages continue.

“Fridges don’t work, there are abundant costs, people can’t run businesses, and there’s an impact on the way people live.”

Ancer said residents in urban areas often felt more frustrated because they had paid for services and expected reliable infrastructure.

“There’s a discrepancy between what people have paid for and what they expect and what they’re getting,” she said. “That is an incredible source of stress.”

When outages continue, she said residents may begin to feel isolated and abandoned by authorities.

There’s a discrepancy between what people have paid for and what they expect and what they’re getting. That is an incredible source of stress.—  Judith Ancer, clinical psychologist

“I have seen a lot of anxiety and depression in relation to an unpredictable power supply. The people who are cushioned are those with the financial means to provide alternatives, such as solar power, boreholes, water tanks, generators, private security or private schooling. It is an extension of inequality, and it makes it worse,” she said.

“The more privilege you have, the more you can buy yourself out of that distress,” she said.

Ancer urged residents not to blame themselves for feeling overwhelmed.

“That is an appropriate reaction, a normal reaction to an abnormal situation,” she said.

She recommended simple breathing exercises, staying connected with neighbours and seeking support from helplines such as the South African Depression and Anxiety Group.

She also encouraged residents to participate in peaceful community action and advocacy.

“Being a social activist is another way of bolstering your sense of ‘I’m not alone in this. I’m not powerless’,” Ancer said.

“People’s mental health is a community issue. It is a social issue. You can’t expect people to have good mental health when the structures in their societies let them down, betray them and disappoint them.”