One in every four Africans has mental disorder – Expert

Gbenga Adekoye, coordinator of the Mental Health Rebuilding and Restoring Initiative (MHRRI), has disclosed that one in every four Africans experience mental health issues according to World Health Organisations (WHO)

The project Coordinator revealed this recently at a day seminar, organised by the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in collaboration with MHRRI, untitled, “From Nigeria to Africa: Influencing Perceptions on Mental Health.”

Adekoye, who discussed the topic, ‘Mental Health and Journalism’ posits that mental affect how we think, feel, and act in different situations.

He informed that every human being display an hour of metal disorder every day, it is estimated that about 50 – 60 million Nigerians suffer from varied levels of mental health.

Speaking on the state of mental health in Nigeria; he mentioned depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Symptoms of these he said include; persistent sadness, loss of interest, change in appetite, sleep apnea, fatigue, excessive worry, fear, or nervousness that interferes with daily activities.

He also mentioned alcohol consumption or drugs intake to cope with life stresses as dangerous to human wellbeing.

The mental health experts, however, warned that people should “not self-medicate, abuse drugs, prioritise their health, collaborate with relevant health care providers.

“As journalists, increase awareness campaign, keep telling stories matters to public engagement and discourage stigmatisation and push for positive change for a healthy environment.”

Earlier, Abdullateef Lanre Ahmed, the Chairman, Kwara State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), posits that the programme was designed to engage practicing journalists in an insightful and impactful dialogue on the critical role of journalism in shaping and transforming public narratives surrounding mental health.

Ahmed added that, the seminar is imperative because journalists are prone to be temperamental owing to the nature of their daily engagements.

“We care less for our health. Our health matters because it is only those that are healthy that can file report. We have to take care of our health as we have responsibility to educate the general public,” he advised.