9mobile Health Talk Series: ‘1 in every 5 persons in Nigeria has mental illness,’ says expert
[By VICTOR NZE]
Telecommunications firm, 9mobile has concluded the fifth edition of its health talk series with the theme of discussion focused on: ‘Mental health; the myth, the challenge & recovery.’
The health talk series is in line with the telco sustained efforts towards creating awareness and sensitizing the public on health-related issues.
The session which was live streamed on the @healthertainer Instagram handle, and featured Africa’s leading mental health advocate and coach, Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri as facilitator. In her presentation, she highlighted the myths around mental health challenges and more importantly, what the recovery process entails, describing mental health is the ability to be productive, fruitful and be able to give back to the society.
While dispelling some of the myths, she remarked that mental illness does not have any spiritual undertone as people are made to believe particularly in our clime. In her submission, mental health belongs to the category of non-communicable diseases.
She noted that 1 in every 5 persons in Nigeria has mental illness, with data showing that mental illness starts before the age of 14 in some instances.
“Everybody has mental health but not everybody has mental illness which is a medical condition as it were. It will therefore be correct to conclude that nobody has immunity against mental health disorder,” she stated.
Enumerating some of the stress factors that could trigger mental illness, she said, “Some of the risk vulnerability factors include; death of one’s parent or loved ones, divorce in families, domestic violence, positive history of mental illness and of course, societal pressure,which can be attributed to the harsh socio-economic realities in the country.”
She concluded with a strong appeal for timely intervention stating, “it is important to appreciate the fact that mental illness is real and therefore seek for ways to address the challenges than living in self-denial. There is good news and there is bad news about mental illness: The good news is that it is beatable, treatable and manageable with help readily available for quick recovery. While the bad news is that the longer it takes to seek medical help the more complicated it can become.”
Commenting on the session, Executive Director, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, 9mobile, Abdulrahman Ado, who was represented by 9mobile’s Public Relations Lead, Chineze Amanfo, reiterated that mental health challenges should be paid more attention, particularly among the productive population.
“Mental Health is a critical issue that needs attention. 9mobile will continue to bring the issue to the fore to promote a healthier and safer society for all. Therefore, we are excited that the health talk series for 2022 has kick-started on a very impactful note, with emphasis on mental well-being which is paramount for optimal productivity. This is one of the reasons why we focus on health as one of our strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) pillars,” the 9mobile chief said.
