Poor mental health can push creatives into drugs —Psychologist
Dr. Isaac Newman Arthur, a clinical psychologist, is urging entertainers to get professional help for their mental health in order to prevent drug usage as a means of coping with the demands of their jobs.
Boakyewaa Lawrencia 
He claimed that due to a lack of understanding of the benefits that excellent mental health offered to individuals' general wellbeing and creative output, many creatives were helpless against the stifling consequences of drug misuse.
Dr. Newman Arthur, the PRO of the Ghana Psychological Association, said entertainers and celebrities were always at risk of suicidal thoughts when meeting the high demands placed on them to perform became challenging in an interview with Graphic Showbiz on Tuesday, September 12.
He claimed that in order to live up to the expectations, individuals were compelled to engage in "dysfunctional coping strategies" like drug and alcohol abuse, clandestine sex, and other bad deeds.
If our entertainers are not careful, they may use substances, alcohol, and other coping mechanisms, including illicit sex, to deal with life's stressors rather than seeking professional assistance, which could lead to further issues for them.
The stress, anxiety, pressure, and expectations to maintain a specific performance are stronger for our celebrities since they are in the public eye than for a "ordinary" person who is not subject to that pressure.
"And because of the nature of their occupations, it was challenging to identify mental health issues among celebrities. Even when their followers are psychologically unstable, they amuse them. Someone's performance does not imply that they are in good health. They simply belong to a small group of individuals with coveted particular qualities, he explained.
Dr. Newman Arthur, the interim director of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Clinic, also urged famous people to have regular health exams that include a mental health examination.
"Mental health is a component of physical health, so it should be included in the annual health screenings we advise patients to get. The subject of mental health is not someone who is exposed on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, that is how people perceive it the moment you bring up mental health treatment.
The mental health of celebrities is in danger in this age of social media and the accompanying trolling, particularly because of the insults and other abuse they receive online, which has a psychological effect on them. Therefore, I anticipate them to give their mental health even greater consideration than I would," he continued.
