As people all over the World mark the 2019 World Mental Health Day, WMHD, Psychiatric experts have advocated for proper awareness creation concerning mental illness.
The experts who stated that mental illness was curable, encouraged surferers and their families not to hide their condition or keep to themselves but seek medical help to enable them lead a healthy life.
The Clinical officer at Community Comprehensive Health Programme of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Benue state, Dr Terver Chieshe, made the call at a sensitization exercise for nursing mothers who turned up for child immunization at the Epidemological Unit of Ministry of Health, Benue State.
He noted that many people were suffering from mental illness without knowing it emphasizing that continuous sensitization and awareness campaign by stakeholders in the health sector would go a long way in addressing issues of mental health.
Chieshe who stated that over 1.25million people in Benue have mental illnesses said the ailment is caused by various predisposing factors naming poverty among other genetic, physical and social factors.
“Over 1.25 poeple in Benue do have mental illnesses and it is so great becaude people are poor. My friend said there is a positive relationship between poverty and mental illness. When you are poor, you tend to develope mental illness easily, when you are poor, you are less likely to get a good education that will make you get a good job and lead a good life.
“When you are poor, you are more likeky to abuse substances, alcohol and likely to be in cult and things like that. A lot of our youths are jobless, untutored and unmentored.
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Basically, the people have failed to get the basic necessities of life and that is not healthy for the communities.”
He therefore called on governments to ensure the welfare of Nigerians for a better mental health just as he urged Benue state government to engage the over 1000 trained psychologists roaming the street for the overall mental health of Benue people.
Also, Psychiatric Specialist with Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, Dr. Olorunninyo Omidiji who also harped on more awareness on mental health, said the disease was gaining momentum in the society.
Speaking to The Next Edition in his Office in Makurdi, Dr. Omidiji noted that incidences of suicide had a lot to do with psychiatric problems.
He urged the people to watch out for symptoms like sleeplessness, dissturbances with sense of perception, hearing voices or seeing things that others are not seeing, distortion of thoughts, abnormal beliefs among others.
While he also encouraged people to seek medical help, Omidiji called on goverment at all levels to implement right policies that would improve mental health care services in Nigeria.
The World Mental Health Day is a day for global mental health education, awarenes and advocacy against social stigma. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Prevention of suicide”.
It is celebrated every October 10.
