‘Over 60m Nigerians Have Mental Disorder’

The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, has said that over 60 million Nigerians have various degrees of mental disorder.

He told newsmen in Abeokuta, the state capital, that about 80 per cent of people move about with metal disorder without knowing or seeking for help, while 20-25 per cent live with a full blown mental disorder in the country.
He said cases of mental challenges range from simple minor mood disorder to extreme cases of mental accreditation, adding that one out of every five Nigerians have an extreme mental disorder.

The commissioner said event that could trigger minor mood disorder that could finally lead to extreme mental illness are marital pressure, educational and economic pressure.

Ipaye said other pressures are expectation and disappointment, advocating that community mental home should be created across the country to socially manage mental disorder at the grassroots level.

While urging the federal government to prioritise primary health care intervention for minor mood disorder, the commissioner said people should always go for regular psychotherapy check-up with no cost implication to manage cases of mental challenges before they get out of hand.