By Alqasim Gbemisola
Nigeria has the highest rate of suicide and depression in Africa. The current rate of suicide in Nigeria is 9.50% out of 100, 000 people.
Most suicides occur impulsively in times of crisis due to a breakdown in coping mechanisms in life, such as chronic pain and illness, financial difficulties, and relationship breakups.
In Nigeria, mental illness is highly stigmatized with the government’s inert feathering it.
While the flaw continue to trauma, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, among others. Pressure from peers also reinforces social and emotional disturbances which in turn spike up psychotic disorders.
A childhood trauma results in autism, intellectual disability and attention deficit; while pregnant women with traumatized conditions result in depression and psychotic disturbances occurring during or after childbirth known as postpartum depression.
It’s estimated that 80% of individuals with serious mental instability in Nigeria are deprived of access to adequate care, due to low professionals and facilities in fighting it. With less than 300 city-based psychiatrists for a population of over 200 million, the country’s health status is worsening.
Attempted suicide is an offence in Nigeria under the Criminal and Penal Codes, when charges are brought against a person,unattended mental illnesses can have severe consequences for homelessness, poverty, employment and safety. Victims driven to the edge of despair and endeavor to take their own life are shown little mercy.
However, tackling the prevail of suicide require a concerted and strategic approaches among which is to enhance public awareness campaigns with simple statements to counter widespread stigma and discrimination against persons with mental illnesses.
Four priority areas are identified for focused attention to eradicate the mental health treatment gap and improve access to high-quality mental health services globally, they include: lessening pervasive stigma, building mental health system treatment and research capacity, implementing prevention programs to decrease the incidence of mental disorders; and establishing sustainable scale up of public health systems to improve access to mental health treatment using evidence-based interventions.
Advocating for increased coverage of mental health conditions in the NHIS scheme and campaigns such as the “Unashamed Campaign” of the Asido Foundation are very much in line with the current needs of our society.