Abdulrasheed Odunola, a medical practitioner and the director of the Health Services Unit, University of Ilorin, disclosed that statistics has proven that, at least, 15 percent of adults are affected with depression yearly and women are more likely to witness disease than men.
The medical expert however, advised Nigerians to always seek medical attention in addressing challenges of depression.
Odunola, gave the advice in Ilorin, while presenting a paper on “Causes of Depression and its Preventive Measures” at the send-forth ceremony organised by the Faculty of Physical Sciences for some of its former staff members.
According to him, depression is a mental illness that causes feeling of sadness, lost of interest, loss of drive, energy and motivation, and loss of appetite, among others.
He described depression as the occurrence of behavioral irritation, hallucination, withdrawal, loss of appetite, cognitive impairment, insomnia, and energy reduction.
Odunola, informed that depression in Africa is not as diagnosed as other nations due to our culture, adding that depression could arise as a result of genetic, environmental and social causes.
He said: “We need to be conscious of it and seek medical attention as soon as possible if the need arises.
“Depression could be as a result of genetic, environmental and social causes, its prevalence is because of our culture,”
Speaking on depression treatment, he said any treatment for depression should coincide with a healthy diet and regular sleep schedule. It may sound simplistic, but the importance of taking care of the body cannot be overstated.
The medical expert further explained that exercise especially, is helpful for the depressed mind. It enables patient to handle stress better, and the endorphins released during exercise gives a mental boost.
He pointed out that meditation is a highly effective way of clearing your head and calming your body. It’s also easy to do, with guided meditations available.
Earlier in his remarks, Abdulwahid Adekola the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences thanked the staff for the well organised event and enjoined them to keep up the good work and be diligent in their duties to the Faculty and the University at large.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
