By Tasi’u Hassan.
A Consultant Psychiatrist at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Dr. Muftau Muhammad has urged Nigerians to take life easy as the current economic hardship can affect their mental health.
Dr. Muftau Muhammad, who is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of a non-governmental organization, ‘Safe Brain Organization’, made the call in a telephone interview with our correspondent in commemoration of this year’s World Mental Health Day.
According to the Consultant Psychiatrist, mental health is an important component of health, saying mental health conditions are common as one in every four people is at risk of having a mental health condition in their lifetime.
Dr. Muftau Muhammad, said that poverty is a strong determinant of mental health, adding that insecurity, kidnapping, flooding and other issues that affect the livelihood of the people are factors that increase mental health risks.
He said the commonest mental disorders are depression and anxiety, explaining that those with depression will be feeling sad for a longer period than normal, losing interest in activities they normally enjoyed, having low energy, losing self esteem, and having suicidal thoughts.
“There are range of symptoms for different kinds of mental health conditions. The most common mental health disorders are depression and anxiety. If someone is depressed, the individual may have sustained sadness. He will be sad for a longer period than normal – usually two weeks or more. The individuals may lose interest in the activities they normally enjoy, they may have low energy and they also lose concentration – they are not able to focus on activities or some tasks and complete. In strange circumstances, they may begin to think that life is not worth living and begin to consider taking their own life”, he explained.
Dr. Muftau, who urged people with these and other symptoms such as feeling low and hearing voices of people that are not there, to talk to health professionals, trusted friends or family members about their conditions, for prompt action, noted that at any time people can develop mental health conditions.
Many people believe that mental disorder doesn’t affect children and that people with mental health disorders don’t recover, however, the mental health specialist debunked such misconceptions, saying it affects everyone and those affected can recover.
He explains “Many people hold a wide range of misconceptions about mental health. A common misconception is that people with mental health conditions cannot recover from their illnesses, but this is not true. We do know that there are medications and psychological and social treatments that work for people with mental health conditions. People can recover completely and live a meaningful life just like any other physical illness.
Some people believe children or younger people cannot have mental health conditions. But this is not true. Evidence shows that about half of all mental health conditions actually begin by the age of 14 years. So, young people are really at the risk of developing mental health conditions, and many of them are not taken for appropriate support, with the wrong perception that they are not having mental health conditions”.
To ensure good mental health in this economic hardship, the consultant psychiatrist advised people to manage their finances adequately by prioritizing what to buy and what’s not necessary, so that they can continue to survive despite the economic consequences.
Dr. Muftau Muhammad charged people to have empathy and compassion for people with mental health conditions, and stop stigmatizing them, so that they can have access to quality health care services, recover and live a meaningful life.
“It is important to recognise that mental health conditions are common; one in every four people is at risk of having mental health conditions in their lifetime and at any time people can develop mental health conditions. So, people should have empathy and compassion for other people and reduce stigma associated with mental health conditions.
This can make them have access to healthcare services when they need so that they recover and live a meaningful life”, the consultant psychiatrist added.
The World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on 10 October to raise awareness about mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
