By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
The increasing mental health cases and patients’ has been attributed to the socio- environmental factors arising from poverty, drug addiction, lost of jobs, depression and insecurity.
The observation was made by a Consultant Psychiatrist of Federal Neuro-Psychiatrist Hospital , Kware, Sokoto, Doctor Adebayo Adebisi.
Adebisi who is the Head of Department of the hospital’s Clinical Services told reporters in Sokoto as part of highlights marking the 2021 World Mental Health Day with the theme: Mental Health in an Unequal World.
The Head of Department noted that insecurity was also a major catalyst to the rising level of mental health as a result of threat and condition of fears most victims of especially kidnappings and survivors of bandits attacks go through even when they escape of got rescued.
” Some of them become mentally affected due to strange environmental and consequences faced after attacks “, he pointed out.
He said there should be a deliberate mechanism by the government, NGOs and the public to support the course of providing adequate facilities as well create awareness through advocacy crusades.
According to the mental health professional” we have to embrace the initiative in order to reduce the surging mental cases.
” People have to be enlightened to also know that the illness is not contagious and should not allow stigmatisation persist against patients”, he advised.
Adebisi said persons must learn to cope with normal stress by not taking more than can be managed , pointing out that ” the brains can always react to the slightest level of depression either due to psychological or emotional trauma, drugs and other social factors.”
He noted that most mentally ill persons were subjected to neglect by family members,friends and associates who also stigmatise them ” is one of the reasons the gap is widening in the society” he added.
According to him” advocacy must be carried out at community level through mental health programmes that should also reach out to secondary schools and be part of curricular in their education pursuit “, he stressed further.
On the hospital facilities and services to mental ill persons, Adebisi said it has no fewer than 112 patients on admission with 27 females.
According to him, the hospital attend to patients from Niger and Benin republics ,Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara and beyond,” we have 30 new cases so far. Government needs to support mental health services by providing drugs at subsidised cost. Mental health patients deserve o have free treatment because many of them are poor and cànnot afford the treatment cost.”
However, despite the challenges of not having constant electricity , the hospital has always been left with no option than to fall back on diesel as option to ensure its services to patients on daily basis.
” We are operating on zero level IGR. Though, we are making some strides with the little we have . We are gradually expanding with new structures . We are working on the Women and Children regional treatment centre among other three major edifices under construction “, he stated.
