Mental Health Month; Where are we Heading?


October is an exciting month for mental health advocates and practitioners to campaign on mental issues. The Mental Health Month theme for this year’s is Learn and Grow.

BabySteps Psychology Magazine is encouraging EVERY ONE to learn more about mental health and use that knowledge to grow personally and take control of their mental well being.


On the other hand, every October 10th is World Mental Day. This year's theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health is psychological first aid and the support people can provide to those in distress.

Global economic and security crisis has resulted in not just physical/social/economic displacement but long lasting psychological problems. In Nigeria, insurgency and economic recession is have psychological implications resulting in increasing cases of stress, anxiety, depression, substance and alcohol abuse, schizophrenia e.t.c.

Read Also ; 6 Factors Contributributing to Mental Disorders

In 2005, the World Health Organisation(WHO) endorsed mental health as a universal human right and a fundamental and a fundamental goal for health care systems of all countries.

Mental health is in SILENT CRISIS in Nigeria due to the following factors I have observed. They include:

1. Lack of prioritization of mental health and issues of policy/ implementation
2. Gross underfunding
3. Chronic shortage of trained mental health personnel
4. Poor diagnosis and treatment
5. Stigmatization and Discrimination
6. Decentralization of mental health
7. Poor information on mental health problems/services

It is paramount for the Nigeria government to TAKE ACTION and declare a state of emergency in the mental health sector due to the current deepening crisis in the country. This is not the time to pay lip service to health matters much less mental health.

Despite its name, psychological first aid covers both psychological and social support. Just like general health care never consists of physical first aid alone, similarly no mental health care system should consist of psychological first aid alone.

I will be addressing these 7 issues contributing to neglect of mental health/illness and proffer strategies for health care policy makers to improve the status quo.

BeMentallyAware
StoptheStigmaNow




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