The President Rotary Club of Ewutuntun District 9111, Rotarian Bukola Alamu has urged Nigerians to prioritize their mental health during the nation’s present economic depression and recovery efforts.
Alamu made the disclosure during a press interview on mental health seminar being organized by the Rotary Club of Ewutuntun District 9111 slated for Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 10am at Ibis Royale hotel, Airport road, Lagos.
According to Alamu, Nigeria is grappling with a staggering mental health crisis, as millions of its citizens suffer from various mental health disorders, hence there is need for adequate awareness initiatives.
The Vice President Africa World Federation for Mental Health, Mr Toluse Dove Francis the guest speaker at the Mental Health seminar in an interview revealed that “the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that a whopping 20% of Nigerians, or around 40 million people, are affected by mental health illness.”
Toluse added that “some of Nigeria's most prevalent mental illnesses include depression and anxiety disorders and In 2017, about 7 million Nigerians (3.9% of the population) had depressive disorders, and 4.9 million Nigerians (2.7%) had anxiety disorders. On top of this, substance abuse disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and personality disorders,” he stated.
He noted that “the burden of illness related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related disorders is also significant, particularly among individuals who have experienced conflict, which is prevalent in North West Nigeria; violent bandits attacks; kidnappings and killings for ransom.”
Toluse stated that “ records and statistics have shown that close to 60% of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kaduna had probable depression, and 16% had definite depression, according to WHO”.
“The impact of mental health imbalance extends beyond the individual, with healthcare workers, teachers, and even bankers are also affected. Studies have found that psychological distress and burnout are prevalent among healthcare workers and primary school teachers and over 70% of our teachers are experiencing psychological distress.”
He further notes that “the most pressing issue is the country's shortage of mental health professionals, caused by relocation abroad for greener pasture pastures or Japa syndrome.”
“Currently, only about 200 psychiatrists and 1000 psychiatric nurses serve over 200 million people in Nigeria, whereas the standard practice is for one psychiatric doctor to care for 10,000 patients.”
“There is also a shortage of psychologists in the country. Psychologists are key professionals in providing services for people with mental conditions such as behavioural problems, learning difficulties, depression, and anxiety.”
“There are only 319 licensed clinical psychologists that are registered with the Nigerian Association of Clinical Psychologists (NACP); however, estimates suggest that there could be 400-500 clinical psychologists in Nigeria.”
There are several discrepancies in the level of qualifications among clinical psychologists in the country - some have received online training or a 6-month certification program, while others have acquired a professional doctorate - making it difficult to know the true number of certified and experienced clinical psychologists.
“These numbers are alarming statistics for the country’s considerable our over 200 million population,” he observed.
#
0 Comments