Addressing Mental Health Challenges

October 10, every year is set aside by the United Nations to celebrate World Mental Health Day. It is a day intended to promote discussions on mental disorders and investment in prevention, promotion and treatment of mental health.

Unfortunately, little or no attention is often given to this aspect of human health need in many countries even when it is common knowledge that mental disorder thrives in an atmosphere of stress, anxiety and all manner of frustration often associated with the kind of human challenges common in Africa.

In Nigeria, the failure to celebrate the World Mental Health Day by the three tiers of government, the way it should, has only underscored the general attitude to the problem. The poor attention given to mental health in the country is even more dangerous when viewed from the fact that more people may be endangered through the abuse of hard drugs that even minors now participate in.

It is therefore important that adequate sensitization is undertaken on the symptoms, causes and treatment of mental disorders. Given the fact that early detection and prompt attention are key to checking and curing this kind of ailment, there ought to be more openness on the subject.

Of course, mentally unstable citizens cannot be depended upon to act or behave in socially acceptable manner. This is perhaps why drivers who contravene traffic rules in our society are recently being subjected to psychiatric tests.

While we agree that primary health care is an important foundation in the promotion of the well-being of the citizenry, we believe that adequate attention should be given to mental health of Nigerians as conditions that trigger the situation are becoming rather too rampant.

We therefore urge government at all levels to pay improved attention and provide special training for the providers of mental healthcare. This is more so because specialist psychiatric doctors and mental health institutions are still inadequate in the country.

There is also the need for sensitisation to educate Nigerians to appreciate the fact that mental cases are not necessarily a product of superstition. It is purely a human condition like any other defect in the human body system.

We are not against any therapy including religious and traditional methods of the treatment of mental disorder, however, we believe that these should be complementary to modern medicine. We urge the federal, state and local governments to pay special attention to rehabilitation centres, especially, for the mentally challenged and other destitutes.

It is also appropriate at this time in our nation’s life, for government to improve social amenities such as power, potable water, healthcare delivery and employment/skills empowerment; the absence of which often lead to stress and other mental complications.

 In the same vein, government should introduce social security programmes including unemployment benefits which can help to sustain and improve the quality of life of the average citizen as practiced in the developed nations. That way, the incidences of stress, emotional instability and mental disorders are reduced.

 The celebration of the World Mental Health Day, this year should engender a renewed approach by the inclusion of preventive and proactive policies and programmes to sustain and improve the mental health of the citizenry.

Even so, the private sector should also partner with government to provide funding, training and technology relevant for the management of the mental health challenges in the country.