TACKLING MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE 

Mental illness is becoming more common. Government needs to do more to arrest the trend

About 60 million Nigerians are reportedly suffering from one mental illness or the other – from the mild to the severe. Indeed, a recent survey by a team of medical personnel from Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital said that one in every five Nigerians is vulnerable to mental conditions which are brain-based illnesses that affect thinking, emotions, and behaviours. Some experts have blamed the current socio-economic problems in the country for the growing number of Nigerians who suffer from mental health challenges.  

More worrisome is that there seems to be no plan to tackle the menace. For instance, Nigeria has only about 200 psychiatrists to care for the population of about 200 million, equivalent of one psychiatrist to one million people. “This figure, even though it sounds damning, is true and it doesn’t account for the current brain drain, which may be as close to total as possible” said Dr Dami Ajayi, a member of West African College of Psychiatry and associate fellow of National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. “The few doctors who are working are not getting jobs created to fit within the tiers of clinical care.” 

Last January, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law Nigeria’s first Mental Health Bill, the National Mental Health Act, 2021 which replaced the Lunacy Act of 1958. The Act is a significant step forward for mental health in Nigeria as it seeks to promote and protect the lives of people suffering from mental illnesses while also addressing and correcting the flaws in the Lunacy Act. It also emphasises the government’s commitment to closing Nigeria’s massive mental health care gap and eventually, achieving Universal Health Coverage. But the lack of infrastructure to deal with the challenge is very telling. As of today, Nigeria has five mental health nurses to 100,000 Nigerians, and with only eight neuropsychiatric hospitals. The few mental facilities are run-down. It is therefore no surprise that the country is heading towards a mental health crisis. 

According to health professionals, mental health includes the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of people and they affect the way such individuals think, feel, and behave. There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness, but the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. They attribute the cause of mental illness to three factors: biological, which include genes or brain chemistry; life experiences, such as trauma or abuse, and family history. 

Early outward signs of mental illness include eating or sleeping too much or too little; pulling away from people and usual activities; having low or no energy; feeling numb or behaving as if nothing matters any longer.  Others include having unusual aches and pains; feeling helpless or hopeless; smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual. Besides, confused thinking, severe mood swings; hearing voices or believing things that are not true, inability to perform daily tasks such as taking care of kids or getting to work or school are also related symptoms. 

Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. Like diabetes and heart disease, it is a medical condition which is treatable. Many people with mental health illness return to a productive and fulfilling life after promptly seeking help. But the country is not doing enough to tackle this public health emergency. Stemming the tide requires a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approach involving various government ministries, agencies, and departments (MDAs) especially that of health, labour and employment, and social services. 

Government needs to build and equip rehab centres across the country while measures should be put in place to improve access to mental health services through community mental health services or primary health care. Mental health education should also be encouraged.