Resilience is not enough: The mental health impact of the ongoing energy crisis in South Africa

Abstract

Significance: Load shedding has become an intrinsic part of South Africans’ daily experience. The devastating impact of load shedding  on the economy is often foregrounded, but limited attention has been paid to its effects on the population’s mental health. South  Africans are often depicted as inherently resilient, able to withstand additional disruptions to their lives. However, this reasoning  underestimates the ecosystemic nature of load shedding and its severe psychological impact on people’s physical and mental well-being.  Fostering the mental health of the population is ultimately the responsibility of the government, which urgently needs to address the  energy crisis.