Nigerians have been urged to take their mental health seriously in the face of the current economic challenges to optimise the country’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP.
This was the submission of a mental health expert, Muhammed Audu, at the opening of the first mental health hub aimed at counselling victims by a non-governmental organisation, Succeeding Against All Odds in Minna, the Niger State capital.
Mental healthcare generally refers to services ranging from assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, to counselling, dedicated to maintaining and restoring the mental well-being of people.
In Nigeria, there is a significant disparity between the demand and supply of mental health services with the estimation that about 25-30% of Nigerians suffer from mental illness and less than 10% of this population have access to professional assistance.
One out of four Nigerians, an estimate of about 50 million people are living with some sort of mental illness such as depression among others.
According to the Nigerian Medical Association, 350 psychiatrists currently serve Nigerians with an estimated population of about 200 million people. This was stated during the celebration of 2020 World Mental Health Day.
While commissioning the hub, a mental health expert, Muhammed Audu believes that with the current state of the country, Nigerians should take proper care of their mental health just as they do with malaria and other illnesses.
Founder of the NGO, Valda Martins, decided to open the counselling hub as a result of the mental health issue she faced sometime in 2018 with no single counsellor to help her in Niger State.
One of the Ambassadors decorated to help champion the course of awareness,, Aisha Wakaso, who was also a victim of mental health issues promised to bring her wealth of experience to bear.
Representative of the Niger State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Daniel Isah said they are ready to collaborate with the NGO to train teachers on the issue of mental health.
For now, the centre is to counsel and treat victims for free but will later be monetised as it expands its operations going forward.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
