- Depression pushing many to commit suicide
- One in five adults suffer from depression in the country
Except drastic measures are taken by government to address some key mental health issues troubling the hearts of many Nigerians, especially depression , suicide rate will soon assume a worrisome dimension in the country.
Already, reports of suicides make headlines almost on a weekly basis amid dearth of psychiatrists.
Last week, a middle -aged man allegedly committed suicide in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
He was crushed to death by a train at the Phikwore Area of Kubwa, a suburb of the FCT.
According to some eyewitnesses, the victim , who left a suicide note, was seen lying down on the rail track waiting for the train, which was close by.
They said that the note contained a short message, supposedly to his wife and kids, which reads , “ Please forgive me for I do not have funds to take care of you.”
Before this latest report, an okada rider allegedly committed suicide in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, over multiple debts.
The list is endless even as many experts have blamed the negative trend on hardship among Nigerians.
Others blamed it on marital disappointments and inability to meet up with family and societal obligations as some of the challenges that pushed individuals to commit suicide.
According to the World Health Organisation, Nigeria has 15 percent per 100,000 suicide cases.
Experts have identified depression as a major reason behind suicides while calling for urgent measures to check the menace.
Despite increase in number of suicide cases in the country and the need to address the issue of depression, Nigeria has below 200 psychiatrists and this explains why access to proper mental care is low.
President, Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Dr. Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, asserted that the country has a ratio of one psychiatrist to 3.3m persons.
Sheikh, who spoke at the 49th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the association in Lagos recently with the theme,”Brain Drain in Mental Health: Impact and Solutions”, noted that the percentage of psychiatrists in Nigeria presently today is about 0.2 per cent.
His words: ” Now if you sum it up to a whole number, it’s about zero. So, it is like we don’t have psychiatrists in Nigeria. That is further worsened by brain drain, which is not only affecting psychiatrists, but psychiatrists in
training. ”
He revealed that in spite of the gloomy picture, recently qualified psychiatrists remained unemployed while a proportion of them are leaving the country.
According to him, the moment psychiatrists that have certification or have done something related to psychiatry in Nigeria conclude their training, it is a visa for them to get to Europe, Canada and Australia.
Worried about the development which he blamed on government’s poor attitude to mental health, Sheikh wondered how millions of Nigerians requiring mental health care will receive optimum care.
It is obvious that government’s attitude will determine how far the country goes in tackling the spiraling suicide rate.
Sheikh urged the government to improve incentives for psychiatrists to retain them in the country.
He implored everyone to join hands with the association in making the Nigeria Mental Health Law a reality by supporting the Mental Health Bill which is before the parliament.
Experts say depression, which they identified as a major contributory factor to suicide, must be tackled if Nigeria must defeat suicide.
For them, depression is more than just a bad mood and can greatly impact daily activity and, at its worst, can result in
suicide.
Depression affects one in five adults in Nigeria, according to research by the World Bank’ s Mind Behaviour and Development unit.
Lamenting the impact of brain drain and how it’s denying patients access to quality mental health care, Local Organising Committee of the AGSM, Dr. Raphael Ogbolu, said something urgent must be done to address the
problem.
“The brain drain was not peculiar to mental health, but the already abysmal ratio of mental health personnel to the population means that we can ill afford to let our members continue to deplete without deliberate intervention,” Ogbolu said.
“It is already scary what the mentally ill suffer in the hands of quacks and such will only increase as our numbers fall.”
Still on the implications of brain drain, Ogbolu added, “This is a danger for the mental wellbeing of a nation, as it may mean that such problems as drug abuse, depression and suicide will rise and not get the professional care they need. This may itself take a greater toll on the economy of the individual or family, as out-of-pocket pay remains the norm, and by extension the economy of the nation. Such untreated or poorly treated disorders may have an effect on the suicide rates in the country.”
Ogbolu advocated early career support and guidance and the encouragement of mentorship that can help ameliorate the challenge of brain drain.
