According to mental health experts, the nation’s severe economic situation will make mental diseases more common.
Though they were reluctant to predict a percentage increase, the psychiatrists confirmed that the number of mental diseases would increase in 2024.
There are currently 60 million mentally ill Nigerians.
The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Yaba, Lagos State, reported a 100% rise in admission cases in 2023, according to Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye, the hospital’s medical director, who made this announcement last December.
Owoeye linked the nation’s economic and socioeconomic difficulties to the rise in mental health issues.
The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics reports that while the country’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in the first quarter of 2023, it increased to 4.2% in the second quarter.
Macrotrends, an economic data organization, defines unemployment as the percentage of the labor force that is jobless yet actively looking for work.
The UN predicted earlier in the month that in 2024 there would be a modest increase in the worldwide unemployment rate. There has already been one documented suicide fatality connected to socioeconomic status in 2024.
Professor Taiwo Obindo, the President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, offered commentary on the matter, stating that people would be more susceptible to stress as a result of the economic circumstances, which had a substantial impact on their capacity to meet their demands.
He went on, “We are aware that poverty is a significant social factor of mental health, as well as overall health.
“A large number of Nigerians live below the poverty line, and the country’s poverty is so visibly depicted that a large number of individuals are forced into it. Many people do not have a job, and many more have part-time jobs. What would a graduate do with N20,000, if they were to receive it?
“Among other vices, the security situation, kidnapping, banditry, and armed robbery have increased. This would have a significant impact on people’s lives because those who witness, participate in, or have relatives involved would be more likely to develop mental health conditions. Thus, that has exacerbated mental health issues.
The president of APN also mentioned the connection between substance abuse disorders and the rise in mental illnesses.
He continued by saying that young people who were unemployed, without hope, and unable to find another way to support themselves turned to drug abuse.
Obindo projected the rise in mental health disorders brought on by the financial crises, rising drug abuse, and insecurity, among other problems. He called the current state of affairs “sitting on a keg of gunpowder.”
“We must generate employment opportunities and urge affluent Nigerians to desist from embezzling funds intended for the general public.” In order to encourage people to generate jobs, we must establish favorable conditions.
“I think the real source of wealth is small and medium-sized businesses, not the ones the government provides, and jobs would not exist if we didn’t create such an enabling environment.”
Because reaching one’s potential and being able to handle life’s challenges are two characteristics of good mental health, unemployment and mental disease have been related. The challenges that our nation is currently experiencing are not your typical stresses.
“A person must be able to work effectively and efficiently, but if there are a lot of unemployed individuals, this is the cure-all for mental health issues. It is impossible to declare someone to be mentally healthy if they are unable to benefit the community, according to the APN.
Obindo said that of the individuals who took their own lives, 90% had a mental illness of some kind, and of those, over 80% had a history of despair and were connected to important life events.
The psychiatrist discussed further issues facing the mental health industry and mentioned that the widespread departure of key specialists such as clinical psychologists and psychiatrists was placing significant strain on the surviving practitioners.
The president of APN said that the country’s decriminalization of suicide and suicide attempts, the creation of a mental health policy, and the President’s signing of the Mental Health Act in 2023 all pointed to a “upward move” that would create new opportunities for the industry.
He also demanded that the act be put into effect nationwide, since this would result in the creation of the mental health fund and the Department of Mental Health under the Federal Ministry of Health.
“All states must receive decentralized mental health treatment. In order for state ministries of health to support the Mental Health Act and establish mental health desks, we must contextualize it at the state level. The APN in addition to
According to Dr. Olamijulo Fatiregun, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Idi-Araba, things would only become worse given the nation’s current economic situation and the interplay of mental disease.
He added that people’s ability to provide their family with financial support had been hampered by the severe economic challenges.
The psychiatrist added that the nation’s rate of mental diseases would climb as a result of underemployment and the ongoing price increases for goods.
“Every interaction of mental illness is evident; social profiles, genetic, and environmental factors are all present,” stated Fatiregun. It would become evident that the relationship between environmental causes and social issues is practically identical. The social indexes are declining every day.
“Even something as basic as I can’t sleep and I’m not happy indicates that something is wrong,” he continued. However, while those symptoms are there, you are discussing them with close friends and family members who are unaware of what is going on. The next step they take is to use the outdated but still in place church and mosque referral system, which labels these instances as spiritual battles.
Additionally, in the past, living in a communal lifestyle where problems were discussed with both immediate and extended family helped people deal with those stressors. However, as a result of Westernization, people increasingly live alone and take care of their own needs
He exhorted Nigerians to watch out for one another by seeing to it that individuals who may have faintly complained of stress are okay.
“Speak out if you see something. When someone responds, “Yes,” to a question about how they are doing, for instance, you can follow up with, “Are you sure?” When you ask someone who is crying, “Are you okay?” they will respond, “I’m fine,” as that is how we are programmed to respond.
Thus, more questioning might reveal the true response. We must become more vigilant, watch out for one another, and acknowledge that the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms does not imply psychosis. Now that we know these details, we ought to be prepared.
