More than 60million Nigerian are battling with mental health issues, Association of Psychiatrist In Nigeria president Prof. Taiwo Obindo, has declared.
Obindo, who is also the Chairman, Faculty of Psychiatry, West African College of Physicians, Nigeria Chapter, made this known during an interview with NAN Sunday in Abuja.
“Mental healthcare is in a sorry state given that we have more than 60 million Nigerians suffering from various mental illnesses and the fact that only about 10 percent of them were able to access appropriate care.
“We are left with more than 90 per cent who are unable to access care and this group is called the treatment gap for mental illnesses,” Obindo said.
He said the gap was as a result of various factors like the knowledge gap in which people do not have appropriate information about the causes and treatment for mental illnesses.
Obindo said some factors hindering the management of mental illness in Nigeria included myths and traditional beliefs; inadequate mental health facilities and number of mental health professionals.
According to him, the few available mental health facilities were located in the city centres.
“Knowing that 60 percent of Nigerians live in the rural areas, they do not have access to appropriate care and have to travel long distances to access facilities,” Obindo said.
He also said that the number of mental health practitioners was low as it fell below the ratio recommended by the World Health Organization.
According to him, the few that were trained were often eager to leave the country.
“The environment in which we practice, the security situation and the remuneration that people were given in the country tend to push them out.
“And then of course, the pull factor from the developed countries where they tend to poach on the already trained medical practitioners in the country, particularly the psychiatrists,” he said.
The psychiatrist added that the law operational in the country was the “lunacy act”, which was first enacted in 1916 and reviewed in 1958.
“The Mental Health Bill by the mental health stakeholders led by the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN), in conjunction with the National Assembly and the Ministry of Health was yet to be assented to by the President.
“This is the most recent effort in 30 years,” he said.
