Mental Health in Nigeria : Problems, Solutions and Prevention

Mental Health in Nigeria : All You Need To Know

This article is going to give you all the information you would be needing about Mental Health in Nigeria. Information relating to mental health in Nigeria is inadequate that we have decided to gather all you would be needing to know regarding mental health in Nigeria.

Mental health includes our psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It affects how we think, act and feel. It also helps determine how we relate with others, handle stress, and make choices in life. Over the course of an individuals life, if you experience mental health-related problems, your mood, behavior and thinking could be affected. Mental health-related problems affects a lot of people in Nigeria though, most of this cases goes unnoticed. As almost half of Nigerians aged 16-85 years will experience a mental illness at some stage during their lives. There are many factors which might be responsible for mental health problems, a few are;

Mental Health In Nigeria

Some Factors Responsible For Mental Health Problems in Nigeria

  • Family history
  • Biological factors, like brain chemistry or genes
  • Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse

About 3.3% of Nigeria’s health budget goes to mental health, with over 90% of the budget going to mental hospitals. Nigeria’s mental health policy was first formulated in the year 1991 and includes the advocacy, promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of mental health-related problems.

These components of the Nigerian mental health policy are addressed as follows ;

  • People with mental health problems have equal rights to treatment as individuals with physical illnesses.
  • Integration of mental health into general health care services at all healthcare levels.
  • Promotion of healthy attitudes and positive socio-cultural attributes to aid positive mental health.
  • Use of appropriate preventive therapeutic measures to reduce the problems of drug abuse.
  • Encouragement and funding of related research in the country.

There are various early signs of mental illness which could be;

  • a change in eating or sleeping habit,
  • withdrawing from people and usual activities,
  • beginning to feel less concerned about situations around you or like nothing matters,
  • feeling hopeless,
  • feeling on edge,
  • angry,
  • confused,
  • scared,
  • fighting unnecessarily,
  • heavy drug usage,
  • inability to perform actively like before and lots more.

Stigma is a major problem that people with mental health-related problems face in Nigeria till date. This is the reason most people who realize they have a mental illness prefer to keep it a secret.

The following are ways you can keep a healthy and positive mental health ;

  • Getting professional help if / when you feel you need it
  • Staying connected with others
  • Always being positive
  • Keeping yourself physically active
  • Getting enough amount of sleep and lots more.

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