By Juliet Umeh
As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark 2023 World Mental Health Day, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Oluwafunmilayo Akinola on Tuesday raised the alarm over the increasing incidence of mental illnesses among adolescents and young people nationwide.
Akinola who expressed concern at an event organised by the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, FNPH, Yaba Lagos said one in every eight people globally is living with mental health issues.
In her presentation to mark the Day with the theme: ‘Mental Health is a Universal Right’ she said: “We know that the incidence of mental illnesses is increasing among adolescents and young people. We know that at least 50 per cent of adults have mental illnesses, the illness starts from adolescence around the age of 15.
“Most mental illnesses are insidious. Of course, we have those that can occur in almost any age.”
While pointing to the fact that their rights are being denied, she said: “World Health Organisation, WHO and United Nations are quite concerned that despite all that is going on now, there are still a lot of human rights violations that occur with people that have mental health issues all over the world.
“Mental health conditions should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them. So because they have mental health issues or problems, it can come in any form, they should not be excluded when they are fully treated and are certified okay.”
Akinola also regretted that the NHIS does not favour psychiatric diagnosis.
“So, we need to talk about these things. Health insurance for mental health is not adequate.”
Earlier in his address, the Medical Director, FNPH, Dr. Olugbenga Owoeye noted that mental health and mental healthcare services are now coming to the forefront because studies have shown that about 25 to 30 per cent of the population has one diagnosable mental health disorder.
However, he regretted that “only about 25 per cent of these have access to care, hence the need for us to create awareness and to let people know that actually, this group of people have their own fundamental human rights. They have access to affordable treatment and when you are treating them their dignity is also important.
And to the employers of labour, I want to let them know that the mentally ill have access to treatment and that mental health conditions are like other chronic medical conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
So, all these conditions are treatable if these people with these conditions have their rights to work, earn a living marry, to be loved then, the mentally ill when they are treated and have recovered, have their own right to work and earn a living.