Recently, Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu raised alarm over the worsening situation of mental health of Nigerians in the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu who said one in four Lagos residents struggles with one mental health disorder or the other explained that the figure is a product of research conducted by the World Health Organisation, W.H.O, and constitutes a fair assessment of odd behaviours in the state.
He noted that mental health is one of the issues in the society that is still largely misunderstood and whose conversations still happen in secret despite the fact that people know someone who is struggling with one form of mental health challenge or the other, like depression, anxiety, substance abuse and those lost to suicide.
It is stating the obvious that Nigerians are trying to keep body and soul together as a result of the enormous pressure of living such as abject poverty, frustration and hopelessness in the land.
Cases abound of people who have lost their lives to suicide, and more often than not, these tragedies are underreported due to fear of shame and stigmatization.
This has social implications and places a huge burden on the economy as experts say that depression alone is estimated to cost at least eight hundred billion dollars loss to economic output globally, a sum expected to double by 2030.
To this end, the effort of the state government to construct a five hundred bed psychiatric hospital and rehabilitation centre, in Ketu Ejirin is a welcome development.
The most important factor for a stable mental condition is good governance which is lacking in Nigeria characterised by insecurity anxiety and high unemployment rate.
All these combine to produce an environment that is prone to depression, and drug abuse that in turn foster delusion and various antisocial and negative behaviours.
A report of the assessment of the mental health system in Nigeria using the world health organization assessment instrument for mental health systems, provided in its executive summary that: there is considerable neglect of mental health issues in the country.
The existing mental health policy document was formulated in 1991 and was the first policy addressing mental health issues and its components include advocacy, promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
Since its formulation, no revision has taken place and no formal assessment of how much it has been implemented has been conducted.
Though a list of essential medicines exists, they are not always available at the health centres.
No desk exists in the ministries at any level for mental health issues and only four percent of government expenditures on health are earmarked for mental health.
While working to improve governance and make life worth living for its populace, political office holders must strive to stop the mass departure of its physicians abroad.
According to international health monitors, nine out of every ten doctors in Nigeria are seeking to leave the country and find work elsewhere, this will increase the pressure on the patients.
All governments both at federal and state levels must work together to develop a strategy to counter the growing menace of poor mental health before it ravages the country.
Fawzeeyah Kasheem
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