Blood on our hands: the enormous cost of ignorance (2)

The most important resource for any organization or nation is its human resource: people. It should therefore be obvious that any organization or nation that wants to be successful and productive will invest in its human resources. They will ensure that they are equipped and equipped with the best tools to increase their chances of success. The most basic of these investments will be ensuring that your staff or citizens are healthy and fit for duty.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, MENTAL and social well-being. Thus, health can be conceptualized as a stool resting on 3 legs: the physical leg, the mental leg and the social leg. Are we giving adequate attention to mental health in Nigeria?

Current realities

We are failing miserably across the spectrum of public health for our citizens: from promotion to prevention to early identification and treatment to rehabilitation. This is especially true for mental and social well-being and only marginally better (but still failing) for physical health.

Armed conflict in the northeast has been going on for more than a decade now, with millions displaced, thousands dead, and millions traumatized and brutalized - including children and girls forcibly abducted, are we oblivious to the emotional toll? Where are the efforts to win minds and heal society through intensive psychosocial re-engineering and reconstruction? What expectations do we have if we allow these abused children to grow into maturity, feeling abandoned and unsupported? Insecurity and the activities of unknown gunmen are making the southeast increasingly dangerous. Are we just going to watch things deteriorate?

Nigeria is predominantly young, with around half of its population under the age of 18. Yet our young people are so frustrated (and dare I say, misguided) that they are willing to cross the desert and risk slavery and treacherous sea crossings in search of a better life. Others seriously plan and implement strategies to jump ship and “japa” overseas. This is not correct.

Drug abuse is on the rise, insecurity is rampant with kidnappings and armed robberies, unemployment is high, our infrastructure is poor, and the minds of young people seem obsessed with instant wealth, which leads to Yahoo Yahoo (Internet fraud) and other crimes. Yet our politicians fail to realize the clear and present danger and the urgent need to inspire hope and chart a clear path to progress. As we prepare for national and regional elections next year, these issues should be at the fore if we are serious about making progress.

There is a shortage of mental health professionals to meet these challenges as we have less than 250 practicing psychiatrists in Nigeria. Some states do not have a single psychiatrist. The picture is similar for clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses and mental health social workers. So, it's no surprise that many citizens with mental health issues are unable to access the care they need, resulting in a treatment gap of around 80% for Nigeria - according to the WHO. This means that only 2 out of 10 Nigerians with mental disorders can access mental health care.

Criminal Negligence of Mental Health

Ignorance, shame and stigma remain huge barriers preventing the use of mental health services. This is where the role of mental health advocacy and organizations such as the Asido Foundation must consistently engage in public awareness campaigns. With the rise in cases of mental illness, addiction and suicide, in a sea of ​​despair, poverty and social hardship, it is unfortunate that mental health remains neglected by governments at the federal and state levels. The revised mental health policy of 2013 still lacks a mental health plan to guide its implementation – 9 years later. There is a mental health desk officer at the federal level, who needs to be empowered and supported, but less than 5 states have mental health desk officers. Attempted suicide remains a crime, punishable by one year in prison; and we are still enforcing an outdated 1958 Insanity Act. The revised Mental Health Bill has yet to be signed into law by Mr. President. We sincerely hope that will happen very soon. Drug abuse is rampant and available in all car parks and street intersections - openly. Yet we pretend to be surprised by the frequency of terrible car accidents and reckless motorcyclists.

Conclusion

As we gradually draw back the curtains on 2022 and plan to usher in the new year, it is important that we encourage government and stakeholders at all levels to focus on the mental health of our citizens in their election campaign and afterwards. governance, when elected. The challenges are many, but they are not...