World Mental Health Day: Mental Ill-health, A Hidden Pandemic In Nigeria

As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to commemorate the World Mental Health Day on Tuesday, the federal government has described mental illness in the country as a hidden epidemic, which requires more attention.

The coordinating minister of Health, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, stated this on Tuesday at a press briefing to mark the 2023 World Mental Health Day, with the theme: “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right’, in Abuja.

He noted that health is complete state of physical, social and mental wellbeing, adding that mental health is an integral part.

“The fact that we are celebrating this day signals that we still have a lot of work to do to bring that aspect of our understanding into what really health is. We have a hidden epidemic of mental diseases, globally 15 per cent of the burden of diseases in our country is a significant cause of morbidity and some mortality due to mental ill-health.

“It is a bi-directional relationship. Physical diseases can contribute to mental health illnesses and mental health illnesses can contribute to physical diseases, much of what we see in diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases can be contributed to by stress, anxiety, depression and they can also lead to the other issues but we have chosen to focus mostly on the physical manifestation of infectious diseases. This is a hidden epidemic and we do not see it enough,” said Pate.

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The minister, therefore, said that the access, affordability and quality of mental healthcare will be an important direction to be taken in the context of the country’s strategic blueprint for health.

“We would include access, affordability and quality, not only for the physical but also for mental health.

“The law that has been passed, we will develop the guidelines to operationalise it. We need resources and I think the federal government will pull from the resources available and we call on states to prioritise health, put the resources in, as non-state actors are also stepping in. the private sector has an important role to play because mental health undermines productivity in the workplace.

“The productivity of your workforce can be undermined by poor mental health in addition to physical mental health. So we call on the private sector to look at the circumstances of their workforce and do things to make it easier for those who are ill to get the care, enablement that they need and the support that they need,” he said.

The minister of state for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, revealed that the ministry was working on incorporating mental care into Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).

He said, “We already have counselling units incorporated into our PHCs and we will work on reactivating that and expanding beyond counselling mental health into our PHC centres so that they can have full continuum into provision of healthcare to our citizens.”

Meanwhile, Maryam Rabi’u of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Abuja, has this to say about mental health and how it shoul be managed: “Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It encompasses the individual’s emotional state, cognitive functioning, and ability to manage stress, build healthy relationships, and make decisions.

“Good mental health is essential for overall well-being and can affect how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia can impact a person’s mental well-being and may require treatment and support. It’s important to prioritise and take care of your mental health, just as you would your physical health.”