BabySteps Psychology Magagzine

I remember waking up at crack of dawn, still feeling giddy and barely unable to keep my eyes open. I walk towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast, holding my transistor radio ( I have this ritual of listening to radio, trust me, radio is a great companion for typical Hausa-Fulani folks, especially herdsmen from Northern Nigeria; I am proud to share that heritage). I tuned to my favorite stations in excitement despite being shaken by the early morning cold, the news headlines and heated commentaries make me come alive.  I did not see this heart-wrenching news item coming; "26 Young Nigerian Women Found Dead in Mediterranean Sea"- their bodies were found floating by the Spanish Navy on Friday . The suspicion was that they were sexually abused and murdered. T he Italian media reports that their estimated ages is 14-18; “It is a tragedy for mankind” -Salvatore Malfi, prefect port city Salerno, where the bodies in the central Mediterranean. Would you like to know the reaction...

Aishatu is a 26 year old middle class worker in a reputable local Community Based Organization (CBO).  She has earned the reputation of being the most productive and performing staff due to her dexterity in multitasking on different genres of programming such as health/HIV/AIDS, Orphans and Vulnerable Children, gender rights, agriculture and the likes-yes she is that good.She is the envy of her co-worker, either positively and negatively. As far her Aishatu is concerned there is "impossible" in her vocabulary and attitude to assigned ask. She recently got promoted to the management level, everything is looking well on the outside for her or so it seem. Two members of her team have made it their life-goals to emotionally torment her, it's an open secret, their toxic behavior towards her is gradually suffocating. She chose the path of avoidance rather than confrontation for her peace of mind at least thought far from finding solace from taking in daily dose of poisonous...

Having a two day holiday from official work felt refreshing I really needed "quality" rest to mentally detox from the day-to-day demands of living. Yet I could not resist putting up an article when I heard that today is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. My enthusiasm must have been fueled by the fact that I recently developed a UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) technical proposal on "Community based Drug Dependence Treatment Services for Female Sex Users-Com-B" as part of an intended collaborative effort with my current host organization (SCD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria. Related Post: The World Drug Problem and Public Health Related Post; Teen Depression What Parents can do WHY PARENTS MUST LISTEN FIRST I decided to draw attention to teenage Females who use/inject drugs because of my experience in implementing strategic community-based intervention for Female Sex Workers (FSWs) and Fa...

Key Facts Approximately 15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder. Current evidence suggests that 1 in 10 older people experience elder abuse. Elder abuse can lead not only to physical injuries, but also to serious, sometimes long-lasting psychological consequences, including depression and anxiety Mental health and emotional well-being are as important in older age as at any other time of life. Neuropsychiatric disorders among the older adults account for 6.6% of the total disability (DALYs) for this age group. Globally, the population is ageing rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double, from 12% to 22%. The Problem An elderly woman from Niger Delta, Nigeria-where women are facing inequality in political, economic and societal sphere Older people face special physical and mental health challenges which need to be recognized. Those aged 60 or above, make important contributions to society as fam...

Key Facts; Worldwide, around 47 million people have dementia, with nearly 9.9 million new cases each year. Nearly 60% of people with dementia live in low- and middle-income countries.  More than 19 million children were still missing out on basic immunizations halfway through the decade covered by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP); progress towards the targets laid out in that plan is off track.  Immunization averts an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths every year from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), and measles. An additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided if global vaccination coverage were improved.  There are an estimated 1 billion migrants in the world – 1 in 7 of the world’s population. Women and girls frequently face specific challenges including children with important public health implications, both physical and psychosocial such as; maternal, child health, sexual and reproductive health due to lack of access to health services and fina...