Psychiatrist Urges Nigerians To Maintain Mental Health

A consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Dr Desola Owolabi, has tasked Nigerians on the need for maintaining a balanced mental health at the workplace, saying it enhances work performance and improved productivity in an organisation.

Dr Owolabi disclosed this during a symposium in Kano to mark the World Mental Health Day organised by Positive Pathways Initiatives (PPI) with support from the Centre for Sustainable Development Research and Peace building (CSDRP).

She explained that the workplace is where most people spend a significant amount of their time aside their homes, noting that, most times they are faced with stress, anxiety and tension which lead to psychological breakdowns.

“Factors such as stress, result from overwhelming workload, tight deadlines and high expectations from an employer, global recession including economic uncertainty and job insecurity and poor working conditions, among others, negatively impact mental health.

“To overcome this challenge, there is a need to foster open conversations with employees to create a socially supportive environment, prioritise work-life balance, encourage mental health days, create time for leisure as well as provide training on mental health to recognise red flags and support employees for an increased job satisfaction and overall well-being.”

In her remarks, PPI’s executive director, Ruqayya Tofa, described the theme, “Prioritising Mental Health in the Workplace” as timely saying, it is important for employers to provide the enabling environment for workers to thrive for optimal performance.

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