A psychotherapist, Mrs. Dedoyin Ajayi, has appealed to agencies of government and international donors to pay more attention to mental healthcare service delivery.
Ajayi, who works with the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, made the appeal on Thursday in Lagos during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
She argued that those living with mental health issues were `significantly more’ than those living with HIV/AIDS.
Ajayi said that while lots attention was paid to people living with HIV/AIDS same could not be said of those with mental health challenges.
She also said the effects of insurgent attacks, insecurity, economic hardships and other crises in the country had left many people in dire need of psychiatric evaluation.
She said unfortunately said and little or no attention was given to provide for the victims economic, security and other social crises in the country.
The psychotherapist, therefore, called for creation of more avenues, particularly at the community level where people could come together to discuss mental health issues.
“Mental health is as important as physical health. But you discover that agencies of government and international organizations focus more on the physical needs of the people rather than mental needs.
“If one’s mental health is being tampered with, it will invariably affect other parts of the body including the physical health. Nigeria has mental health policy, but this policy is not implemented.
“For too long, mental disorders have been largely overlooked despite the fact that mental disorders are found in all countries”, she said.
According to her, they are also found among women and men, at all stages of life; among the rich and poor and in both rural and urban settings.
“If people with mental disorders fail to receive the treatment and care they require, they risk becoming marginalized from society; many descend into poverty and homelessness,” she said.
Some factors that have militated against the nation’s mental health system include lack of political support, inadequate management and overburdened health services.
She expressed concern that `triggers of trauma’ were on the rise due to increasing economic challenges in the country, insecurity, unemployment and relationship issues
She said many people, especially rural dwellers, who were in need of psychological evaluation and support, could not access them due to the poor state of mental health system in the country.
She called on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), government agencies, international donor organizations, communities, families to collaborate to address the challenge..
Ajayi urged the federal government to make mentally stable society one of its major priority by ensuring that basic necessities of life were provided for the citizenry. (NAN)
