The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) has blamed the rising cases of mental health disorders in northeast to the decade Boko Haram insurgency that traumatised the people of the region.
The APN equally decried the lack of mental health desk offices in many states of the federation which it said would negatively affect the implementation of the mental health Act at sub – national level hence it called for the establishment of mental health desks in all ministries of health across the federation.
This was contained in a communique read by the APN President, Prof. Taiwo James Obindo during the association’s 54th Annual General Meeting with the theme, “National Mental Health Reform; Prospect and Strategy of Implementation of the National Mental health Act 202” held yesterday in Maiduguri.
Prof Obindo noted that many of the populace required basic mental health services that could not be afforded due to their economic status.
He also decried the alarming rate of mental illness due multi-dimensional factors including kidnapping, unemployment, underemployment, loss of loved ones, insecurity and economic hardships in the country.
“The high sycophant substances have increased mental health numbers, the factors we have now can make someone have a mental health illness. I think it is important to appreciate those who offer psycho-social support intervention to people who are being displaced by the insurgency.
“It is about 25 percent as of 2006, but with insurgency, kidnapping and all forms of insecurity, the figure has increased ,but when we look at the northeast, we should be talking of 50 percent of the populace affected by mental health disorders,” he said.
The APN President said during the pre-conference medical outreach by the Association, over 500 patients were attended to in the host community in Maiduguri.
“We treated a total of 500 patients with all different kinds of illness; If we had more time you can be sure that over 5,000 would be reached; we were able to see quite a set of patients,” Prof Obindo added.
He urged governments to provide adequate training for medical students, residents, doctors and other specialists.
APN blames increasing rate of mental health cases in northeast on insurgency