How Nigeria can tackle scourge of depression
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), depression causes mental anguish and impacts people’s ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends and the ability to earn a living.
Reported cases of suicides across the country due to challenges of economic and mental health have been on the rise in the country.
“Depression affects a lot of people cutting across the continents, religion, culture, all classes of people. So the notion that is the leading cause of disability and of one is commonest form of disorders is true,” says Richard Adebayo, consultant psychiatric and clinical psychologist at Federal neuropsychiatric hospital Yaba, Lagos.
“Depression will affect not less than 20 per cent of any population in their life time, so that is life time prevalence can affect figures higher than 20-25 per cent have been quoted of the population that will suffer depression at one stage or the other in their life,” Adebayo says.
A WHO report stated that depression can be treated and the first step is talking to people that can be of help.
The condition is treatable with talking therapies or antidepressant medication or a combination of these, the report says.
“There is a lot that you can do to keep mentally strong. If you feel that you may be heading for depression, talk to someone you trust or seek professional help.
“If you live with someone with depression, you can help them recover but you need to take care of yourself to,” the report added.
However, the mental health practitioner further asserted that until Nigeria is able to enact the mental health bill, the country might not be able to properly tackle the depression scourge.
They stated that passing the bill into a law will guaranty the rights of patients with mental disorder, especially patients with severe depression and psychosis who are no longer in contact with reality to be protected.
Owoeye Olugbenga a consultant psychologist and clinical psychologist at Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, said the criminalisation of suicide was predicated on the Lunacy Law made by colonial leaders.
“Our lawmakers should review the Mental Health Law in line with what obtains in other countries, especially developed nations. The bill is already with the Senate. They should make provision for the treatment of those who attempt suicide rather than get them arrested.
“As the law is being repealed, the government should also fund the psychiatry hospitals. There are fewer than 500 psychiatrists nationwide to take care of 180 million people. We even have fewer clinical psychologists and psychiatrist nurses. These are not enough to take care of the psychiatry need of the nation,”Olugbenga says.
WHO noted that increased investment is needed in many countries saying there is currently no or very little support currently available for people with mental health disorders.
The world health organization also noted that even in high-income countries, nearly 50 per cent of people with depression do not get treatment with average investment of 3 per cent on mental health which varies from less than 1per cent in low-income countries to 5 per cent in high-income countries.
Signs and symptoms of depression can include loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, withdrawing from close family and friends, relying on alcohol and sedatives and unable to concentrate.
Others are feeling tired all the time, headache and muscle pains, sleep problems, loss or change of appetite and significant weight loss or gain.
These signs may defer from individual to individual hence the need to seek professional help is highly recommended by experts.