OPELOYERU: Why Nigerians Should Understand Mental Health Issues

By Samuel Ajayi

How much of mental health issues does an average Nigerian know? So little. That is what Oluwatoyin Opeloyeru, Executive Director of Shaping Lives Foundation, a non-governmental organisation committed to promoting metal health and well-being, Opeloyeru said her organisation has been going from offices to offices educating people about the need to have adequate awareness about mental health issues. According to her, when mental health is mentioned, what comes to mind is mental illness which is not so.

The woman, trained as an accountant but now a consummate mental health consultant, said derives fulfillment letting people know the difference between mental health and mental illness. She has been doing this since 2011 but the NGO was officially registered in 2015.

“We have been doing this since 2011; creating awareness and letting people know what mental health is all about. But the NGO was officially launched in 2015 but we have been doing awareness since 2011 when we started the Shaping Lives Foundation,” Opeloyeru explains.

One issue with mental health issues and even illness is the stigmatisation of the individual involved and, in some cases, their families. Opeloyeru says she is aware of this and that is why her organisation is trying to educate people in this regard.

“I know the stigmatisation is still very strong but we have been doing so much in this area like going to schools to talk about the mental health awareness and need to be interested in what is all about. Since 201, we have been going to different schools in Lagos because we know that by educating the young, we end the stigmatisation and shifting thinking patterns. By shifting thinking patterns, we mean that a lot of people, when they hear about mental health, they think it is about being crazy and being mad. Nigerians have come to see mental health as being mentally sick. They don’t know there is difference between mental health and being mentally ill. There is a vast difference.”

She avers that the World Health Organisation, WHO, defines health as complete physical and mental well-being; not just the absence of sickness and infirmities. The world body also states that state of well-being is when everyone can work diligently and effectively and contribute to the society and cope with the normal stresses of life.

“Mental disorder is just an illness of the mind.” Opeloyeru explains. “But in Nigeria we see this as being crazy as in people roaming about the streets in rags. But depression is a form of mental disorder. A woman, who just delivered, could have post-natal depression. It is a mental disorder. We are trying to let people know that mental health is quite different and we started educating people. We have been working with schools and last year was a very productive year for us as we collaborated with the United Nations Information Centre as well as the Yaba Psychiatric Hospital. Every year, on 10th of October, which is the World Mental Health Day, we trained people and we even did about 80 teachers across different parts of Lagos and what they learnt, they take it back to their different schools. It is a way to make that little difference. Though, there is still much to be done as I said and that is why we are collaborating with other organisations so we could come together to achieve this.”

She says the body has quite a number of programmes that have been slated for the first and second parts of the year. She throws light on them.

“What we have been doing is focusing on creating awareness around the World Mental Health Day which comes in October of every year as I said. We have realised that we cannot carry this alone and hence, the plan now is to do events on quarterly basis and what we are planning is to have school awareness programme and a mental health conference in the first half of the year. In the second half, we have the World Mental Health Day, in October, and in December, we celebrate Christmas with mental health patients.”

A couple of weeks back, Opeloyeru and her team went to the Yaba Psychiatric Hospital where they donated mattresses to the centre. She says they could not do this alone and that was why they have been discussing with corporate organisations.

She explains that they actually bought five mattresses from Mouka Foam which now gave them two extra as part of their own contribution to the society.

“We have been discussing with many corporate organisations. For instance, we bought five mattresses from Mouka Foam and they gave us two more as part of the corporate social responsibility.

These seven mattresses were donated to the Yaba Psychiatric Hospital recently. A bank has given us some money, which is a token though, but it is something. We will be having a school awareness programme very soon in collaboration with this bank.”

A regular visitor to the Yaba hospital, Opeloyeru describes herself as a friend of the house. And that was why she does not miss the annual Christmas party of the hospice every year.

“We had a Christmas party at that Yaba Psychiatric Hospital which holds every year. I go there as often as I could and last year we held it. In my individual capacity, I am friend of the hospital. Trinity House provided food and we went there to spend time with them and gave them a sense of belonging.”