Mental health has been described as a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his potential and is able to cope with the normal stresses of life , work productivity and make a contribution to his community.
This description of mental health was given by Dr Dapo Adegbaju, a consultant psychiatrist at the Federal Neuro- Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba.
In a media chat as the World marked Mental Health Day of Saturday, 10th October, he said that about 30 percent of Nigerians are battling with different mental health challenges. According to him, statistics showed that in a study carried out in 2016, about 20 to 30 percent of the Nigerians have mental health challenges.
He also added that with the socio – economic issues being experienced in the country, more people are likely to come.down with various mental illness.
He called out to Government to invest more in mental health of the country is going to move forward.
He said that with the right approach, mental disorder can be properly managed. Dr Odegbaju also stated that Government can help in the management of mental healthcare by employing more professionals like psychiatrists, Psychiatric nurses, psychologist, medical social workers and occupational therapists.
World Health Organisation marks World Mental Health Day on 10th October annually. This year, the theme is Mental Health For All: Greater Investment Greater Access. The day is set aside to raise awareness about the common psychological conditions and remove stigma from them.
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