MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Executive Director of the Initiative for Women and Youth Empowerment (IWYE), Musu W. Davis, has called for urgent national action to strengthen mental health awareness and psychosocial support across Liberia’s schools.
Madam Davis, who is an educator, researcher, and community development practitioner, also warned that students battling psychological conditions are too often misunderstood, stigmatized, and punished instead of receiving the professional assistance, comfort and love they need.
She said conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and trauma are frequently mistaken for indiscipline and disruptive behaviour, exposing vulnerable students to punishment, exclusion, and other educational disadvantages.
She spoke over the weekend at a mental health awareness and psychosocial counselling conference, drawing from her research titled: “Mental Health Awareness in Liberia’s Educational Sector: A Comparative Evaluation,” at the Liberia Learning Center in Paynesville.
Madam Davis then urged participants to become ambassadors for mental health awareness, calling on parents, teachers, and school administrators to recognize psychological distress early and establish supportive environments where affected students can access help without fear of discrimination.
Davis highlighted the consequences of failing to distinguish mental health challenges from behavioural misconduct, noting that such misunderstandings can negatively affect students’ education and personal development, and illustrated the situation through the experience of a young boy who was expelled from school for disruptive behaviour, only for his challenges to later be understood as symptoms of ADHD.
The example, she stressed, demonstrates why schools must move beyond punishment and embrace early identification, mental health education, stronger parental involvement, and referral systems capable of connecting students to qualified professionals.
She said, “I am not just a CEO and founder; I am a teacher and a principal of a school. I am trained to sit in that classroom and be able to identify these challenges. We are professionals who took years outside Liberia studying how we can better the educational system of our beloved Liberia. I am glad I am back to do just that.”
Beyond awareness, the IWYE Executive Director emphasized the need for practical collaboration among civil society organizations, government institutions, schools, parents, and mental health professionals to ensure that students experiencing psychological difficulties are not left behind.
She maintained that addressing mental health challenges in schools does not necessarily require enormous financial resources to begin, arguing that collective commitment, professional knowledge, and coordinated action can make an immediate difference.
“We can work together. We don’t need billions of dollars to start. Though as a nation we are making some progress in developing mental health policy, we must never allow it to remain only on paper. It has to translate into practical support and action. So, we must, as a nation, act now.
Let’s start to address mental health as a national urgency and remove our political garment. The future of this nation rests on us all to do the needful,” Davis declared, placing renewed attention on the responsibility of the government to translate mental health policies into practical interventions, particularly within schools where early signs of psychological distress can be identified and addressed.
Davis further told participants that her professional journey is driven by a desire to join other young women in Liberia in contributing to the transformation of the country’s educational system.
The call also highlighted the important role of civil society organizations in supporting national development by promoting awareness, strengthening community participation, and advocating for the protection and well-being of vulnerable children and young people.
Madam Davis is an educator, researcher, and community development practitioner whose professional work focuses on education, mental health, and social transformation, after earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, a Master’s Degree in Psychology, and an Associate of Arts (AA) in School Administration, in addition to several national and international professional certificates.
Her contributions to education and mental health advocacy have also received international recognition, as following her presentation at the National Conference on Contemporary School Mental Health Initiatives in New Delhi, India, Davis received a Citation of Honour in recognition of her contribution and commitment to improving the educational system.
She has also authored several research papers published by internationally recognized publishing institutions, including the London School of Economics (LSE) Digital Library, reflecting her continued interest in education, psychological well-being, and broader social development.
Meanwhile, her message at the conference was that improving education must go beyond classrooms, textbooks, and academic performance to include the psychological and emotional well-being of learners.
For Liberia, the challenge is ensuring that students experiencing ADHD, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health difficulties are recognized early, supported appropriately, and given equal opportunities to succeed rather than being labelled, stigmatized, or pushed out of the education system.
