It was the most horrific story heard in recent times, the height of man’s inhumanity to man. A woman, Gladys, mother of eight children, was reportedly locked up in a room for four years in her home at Orerokpe, Warri, Delta State, by her husband on the accusation of being a witch and mentally deranged. Throughout this period, she was said to be fed with only bread and made to urinate and defecate in the same room where she was caged like a wild animal.
Incidentally, being “a witch and a psycho” did not stop her supposed husband from sneaking into the disgusting room where she was bound in chains to sleep with her, resulting in three pregnancies.
Often, when we watch home videos with this sort of story line, we term them fiction and unreal but the truth is that worst things happen in our society. We treat our mentally challenged family members, friends and associates as less humans, cursed and evil-spirit-possessed people. I remember a family friend some years back, whose son had a mental problem, apparently for fear of stigmatization; they hid this boy in a room, never allowed him to see the daylight, not to talk of interacting with anyone until he eventually died.
Another friend who came down with a mental health issue was abandoned by her husband. In fact, he sent her back to her father’s house, seized their children and never supported either financially or otherwise for the several years her treatment lasted. His argument was that her family did not inform him about the mental health condition when he came to marry her. Today, the woman has recovered and they have come back as a couple, yet the burden of her regular checkups is still being shouldered by her family.
Stories of how people that present with symptoms of mental disorder are sent to traditional healing homes and religious centers where they are tortured, abused and dehumanized abound across the country. Some of them are put in chains, force-fed medicine and herbs, whipped constantly and denied food and water.
We cannot continue on the dehumanizing path. We constantly blame the government for being insensitive to the plights of the citizens but in our own small corners we display more lack of care and meanness. How can Glady’s family not know the pitiable condition she was in for four years? What did they do to save her? Did they also sentence her to death because of her perceived health condition? As earlier said, my friend was able to weather the storm because of the great, unconditional love of her family.
Health experts have not failed to warn about the adverse health impact of poor and inhuman treatments meted on mental health patients. In an interview with American-based television, Cable News Network (CNN) recently, a resident psychiatrist at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Lagos, Dr Nancy Orjinta said,  “I have seen patients who were chained for months battle with self-esteem issues. Keeping someone locked up will not only harm them physically, but they will start to feel low and dehumanized too,” she said. She added that such conditions can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder caused by traumatic or distressing events.
If only we can heed health professionals’ advice and begin to see mental disorders as any other ailment like malaria, stomach pain and others, it will go a long way in addressing the misconceptions regarding mental health. That will invariably change our attitude towards the patients.
To achieve that, the media, ministry of health at various levels, medical professionals, NGOs and other stakeholders must join hands in sensitizing and educating the citizens on mental health issues.
Very importantly, more attention needs to be given to mental health by the various governments. This includes training of more mental health professionals, providing and equipping of more health facilities, especially in the rural areas to cater for this special need. Is it not shocking that, with a population of more than 200 million people, there are only 250 practising psychiatrists in the country?
Most of these doctors reside in urban areas, leaving those with mental cases in the rural areas with no option than to rely on traditional healers and faith-based bodies for their healing. In the past, there have been a series of efforts to clampdown on healing homes, which are believed to be doing more harm than good. To achieve the desired result in this direction, more approved health facilities must be provided both in the urban and rural areas.
Many stakeholders and analysts have also harped on the need for strong legislation that will set the standard for psychiatric treatment in the country as the existing law is no longer in tune with current realities. According to 2006 WHO-AIMS reports on the mental health system in Nigeria, “The existing Mental Health Policy document in Nigeria was formulated in 1991. Since its formulation, no revision has taken place and no formal assessment of how much it has been implemented has been conducted……No desk exists in the ministries at any level for mental health issues and only four per cent of government expenditures on health is earmarked for mental health.” Other mental health issues like unavailability of essential medicines at health centers, unavailability of physicians to run primary health care centers and the lack or restrictions to the prescription of psychotropic medications, were also identified by the report.
In line with the theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day, “Increased investment in mental health”, it is hoped that all necessary actions will be taken to improve mental health in Nigeria. Records already have it that an estimated 20-30% of our population suffer from one form of mental disorder or another and with the harsh economic realities in the country, the number is likely to increase, hence the need for adequate economic investment in mental health programmes, professionals and facilities.

By: Calista Ezeaku