Psychological Issues within Botswana: Is there a significant awareness of psychological issues in Botswana? Authors: Tanya Isaacs, John Christy Johnson, Peter Anto Johnson, Vivek Kannan, Shruti Misra, Austin Mardon Poor psychological well-being plagues the world regardless of geographical location. Psychological research dates back to the 1830s by Gustav Fechner (Konnikova, 2012), who performed the first psychological experiment that involves the use of three different techniques of finding a difference between two separate sensations, while non-scientific measures date back thousands of years to philosophers such as Aristotle. Psychological well-being, which is a component of mental health, can be referred to as a state of well-being where the individual realises his or her abilities to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her community (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2001). Should there be dysfunction or a disturbance in one’s psychological state, a psychological disorder (mental health disorder) that impairs a person’s functionality, whether it be cognitively, behaviourally, or socially. Even though psychological disorders pose a threat to individuals universally, they are not given the attention they deserve, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) (Opondo, Olashore, Molebatsi, Othieno, & Ayugi, 2020, p. 2). For example, it has been estimated that between 76% and 85% of people with severe mental disorders in LMICs receive no treatment for their conditions (Opondo, Olashore, Molebatsi, Othieno, & Ayugi, 2020, p. 2). Opondo et al suggest that mental health research is inadequate in Africa, especially in countries central to Southern Africa such as Botswana, which is classified as a middle-income country. This implies that there is limited information about psychological issues within Botswana, and as such, the general awareness that Botswana citizens (i.e., Batswana) have towards mental health may be considered limited. There exists one main psychiatric facility in Botswana known as Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital, found in the town of Lobatse in southeast Botswana that patients are often 1