by Rachel Ogbu

There is a saying in Nigeria that suggests everybody has got “five minutes of madness.”

In as much as this is usually used in jesting terms, the number of people with mental health problems ranging from mild to serious cases are on the increase and should not be taken light-heartedly.

Last year in 2012, professor of Counselling and Developmental Psychology at the University of Ibadan, AjibolaFalaye, raised the alarm over increasing incidence of mental problems and disorders among Nigerian youths.

“Although mental health is the 9th component of Primary Health Care, the implementation is fraught with problems hence nothing is being done about mental health problems of young people,” she noted.

Falaye said that one reason for this includes the dearth of mental health professionals to ensure its practicalization.

The issues militating against mental health care has always been availability and access. Most mental health care institutions and units are located in urban areas, whereas, most of the people who have mental disorders are located in rural areas.

According to Dr. Olufemi Olugbile, Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), “It has been estimated that at least, about 90 per cent of people with clear-cut mental health syndromes do not even get any treatment at all in Nigeria. That is an atrocious figure and everybody knows the issue. The specialists, such as psychiatrist nurses, social welfare officers, occupational therapists and all those who form members of the mental health team, are very few in numbers, grossly inadequate.”

The stigma, says Robert Rosenheck, MD, Yale professor of psychiatry and of public health, stems largely from the region’s culture and traditions. “If a family member exhibits symptoms that western medical professionals might associate with mental illness, available research suggests that Nigerians might think that person has been bewitched or cursed.” Someone seeking help for a mental illness will likely turn to their church or a traditional healer before a medical doctor.

Francis Jackson, a social worker at Harvest House in New Jersey says the first step to treating a mental health problem is seeking help. “I have been a Social Worker for the past 26 years. I am a Christian and I am also a professional in the mental health industry. Realizing that you need help is a blessing. Reaching out to receive that help is a greater blessing. Why go through difficulty alone when you don’t have to? Seeking help is not a denouncement of your faith. We have to get real about mental illness. It’s real.”

There is a new study that suggests there is a correlation between mental illness and domestic violence. The study is the first of its kind to examine a wide range of mental health problems in men and women. “The evidence suggests that there are two things happening,” says senior author Louise Howard. “Domestic violence can often lead to victims developing mental health problems, and people with mental health problems are more likely to experience domestic violence.”

One in 17 Americans is diagnosed with a serious mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Since the decline of the economy in 2008 with the loss of employment, homes and high debt, mental health practitioners have seen an increase in prescriptions for mild to severe depression. In the United Kingdom, one in ten young people have a mental illness and the figures keep rising across the globe.

In recent times, more public service announcements on radio and television have helped to get the public talking about mental health more than ever, in turn empowering people with mental health problems to speak out and encouraging those without to consider their own views around the issue.

Olugbile who is the Chairman of the African International Division of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said: “We are already paying the cost of not treating illness in Nigeria. People have sat down and they have reasoned that part of the reason why we are underperforming as a nation is that we have a lot of unrecognized and untreated mental disorders, especially of the so called minor categories, anxiety and depressions. So if it is already costing us, whatever money we spend treating mental disorders, is certainly going to be cheaper than that thing mental illness is costing us, even if the cost is invisible.

Though there are already some visible costs (people paying some high medical bills), but the invisible costs are greater. If we have found an objective way of quantifying them, then we would realize that it is cheaper to deploy resources for treating mental illness, and to activate the primary health centers. It is not just donating money, but the government must understand this argument.”

Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: “2012 has been quite a year and we’ve seen some landmark events and discussions that have started to really challenge some common misconceptions about people with mental health problems.  Momentum has been building over the last year, but we know we have a long way to go.

“My hopes for 2013 include more people from all walks of life and all ages feeling able to talk about their mental health problems without fear of prejudice. I also want to see more media coverage that helps to address common myths; more business leaders get on board with our growing movement of employers who see the business case for making the workplace more inclusive and mentally healthy for all; and more work with faith leaders to tackle mental health discrimination in all communities.”