According to the World Health Organization, one in four Nigerians; about 50 million people, are suffering from some sort of mental illness.
Culture and traditional beliefs, societal stigmatization and exclusion, the inherent culture of silence, insufficient professionals in the field, poor facilities and infrastructure, the lack of adequate data, as well as the generally low awareness and sensitization rate has further exacerbated the issue of mental health in Nigeria and across the African continent.
Well-meaning organizations and individual change agents are lending their voices to raise awareness, decry the stigma, negative views and other misguided notions, and lead social change through discussions and education on causes, treatments and management of mental health disorders, as well as advocate for better care, acceptability and treatment of people living with mental health issues in the society.
It is in light of this that the Queen of the Rosary College (QRC) Onitsha Global Alumnae, as part of its social change and advocacy programmes, held it maiden Summit on Mental Health, with the theme “Let’s Talk mental Health”.
The summit, which was part of the alumnae’s Knowledge Series designed to cover a wide range of topics, opinions, challenges, and issues that affect the day to day lives of individuals worldwide, attracted over 1000 registrants from 22 countries, and had an array of local and international thought leaders and Subject Matter Experts on Mental Health on ground to share their perspectives and wealth of experience as it concerns the topic.
The Summit which held virtually, had an array of high profile local and international speakers.
They include the keynote speaker, Dr. Hillary Akpudo, CEO/Chief Medical Officer, CHA Behavioral Healthcare, Chief of Medical Staff/Executive Medical Director, Kingwood Pines Hospital, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Kingwood Pines Hospital, and Vice President of Medical Staff, Cypress Creek Hospital, Houston, Texas; Dr. Ngozi Okose, Ph.D. (Psychotherapist), Co-founder, Global Psychotherapy Services, and QRC Alumnae Global President; Mrs. Hauwa Ojeifo, Lead Facilitator and CEO at International Advocacy Academy Africa, Founder and Executive Director at “She Writes Woman”, and Ambassador at One Young World; Dr Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, foremost Nigerian Mental Health Advocate, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, and Founder of Pinnacle Medical Services Limited; Dr Mosun Fapohunda, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Lead for quality at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, UK; and Chizor Malize, Managing Director/CEO, FITC, and Global Secretary QRC Global Alumnae.
The event was kicked off by Chizor Malize, Managing Director/CEO, FITC, and Global Secretary, QRC Global Alumnae, who shared that the overarching vision of the QRC Knowledge Series, is to create a global platform that will not only help to highlight the wide range of pertinent issues plaguing the daily lives of individuals worldwide, but also a platform that seeks to provide viable solutions to these issues by bringing together world-class, knowledgeable individuals, and Subject Matter Experts, to share their experiences and insights.
‘’The QRC Knowledge Series is very idealistic and dynamic, and is part of the Alumnae’s efforts in seeking creative ways of advancing the curation of information on specific topics and areas of interest, with the intention of adding value through discussions and deliberations around sustainable solutions, and the issue of Mental Health, especially in the light of the global pandemic, is one of such topics” Malize said.
In his presentation, Dr. Akpudo, revealed that about 46% of people who died by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition, while 90% of people who died by suicide had shown symptom of mental health condition. Dr. Akpudo noted that throughout history, mental health had been depicted more as a “spiritual disease caused by demons”, hence, people with mental health have been treated differently, brutalized, and excluded from society because of the misguided views and fake notions that society had come to believe overtime. He however opined that the narrative must change.
While applauding QRC alumnae for starting the mental health conversation and bringing it to the forefront, Akpudo stated that the concept of people taking their insulin when they have diabetes, is the same concept for mental health. “Mental health is a physiological disease that has its treatment. There’s need for more education around mental health because the more people are enlightened about the issue, the better their understanding of the disease, as well as their treatment of people living with the condition in the society” Akpudo said.
In her opening remark, Dr. Ngozi Okose, Ph.D. (Psychotherapist), Co-founder, Global Psychotherapy Services, and QRC Alumnae Global President, explained that mental health disorders were no longer individual problems but have become social and cultural challenges. Okose noted that mental health, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world is seen as a taboo. According to her, “Mental health is a condition without a face, an ailment without a voice.
For decades, societal stigma has surrounded the subject of mental disorders and how we talk about it or, in many cases, how we do not talk about it. This must change and it must start with acceptance because where there is no acceptance, there’s denial and where there is denial, there is no help. The signs are always there, and while some people can cope with life experiences and negative feelings which could serve as risks or triggers to mental health issues, a lot of people cannot. The time has therefore come to become educated; learn the warning signs, and support those who exhibit mental health conditions” Okose stated.
Speaking further, Okose noted that as an organization focused on positive change dynamics, QRC Global Alumnae will continuously join global bodies, leading organizations, and mental health experts to educate the society and help address issues surrounding mental health. In her final remarks, Okose said that mental health remains an overall part of our health and there is no health without mental health.
“We all have mental health the same as we have physical health, mental health matters. I cannot fight the battle alone, neither should you and you are not alone. Let us always feel free to talk about it. Seek help with support groups, go for counselling and take your medications. Together, let us stamp out the stigma attached to mental health, let us all become advocates for mental health” Okose said.
Nigeria’s Sexual Violence and Mental Health activist, Founder and Executive Director at “She Writes Woman”, and Ambassador at One Young World, Mrs. Hauwa Ojeifo, who spoke on the topic “Living with Mental health Challenges” as someone who has lived with Bi-polar and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome for years, elucidated the pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, and post-diagnosis stages of mental health concerns. Ojeifo revealed that on the average, it typically takes about 8 years from the onset when the symptoms are exhibited, to when it is actually diagnosed; pointing to the fact that a lot of people are currently unaware of, and living with un-diagnosed mental health problems. She noted that studies have shown that mental health symptoms begin to manifest around the age of 14-15 years but does not affect the lives of the individuals until around the age of 24.
Speaking further, Ojeifo disclosed, “When it comes to the issue of mental health, people tend to look for sad and unhappy faces, but I can assure you, that is not usually the case.” Hauwa Ojeifo, while sharing her personal experience over the years, revealed the feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, as well as the suicidal thoughts she nursed pre-diagnosis, that most mental health people go through, and why most times, it was very difficult for people with mental health problems to verbalize their state of mind or feelings. “It is time we begin to normalize mental health conditions because people with these conditions are just like you and I” Ojeifo stated.
Dr. Maymunah Kadiri, foremost Nigerian mental health advocate, Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, while emphasizing the need to be intentional and deliberate about our emotional wellbeing, stated that mental health is a personal journey, and not an event. Kadiri, who likened our “emotional bank” and investing in one’s emotional wellbeing to actual banking and investment transactions, urged participants to “deposit” the right amount of sleep, the right exercise, the right diet, and healthy support system to one’s emotional bank, so that when needed, one can withdraw from the “emotional bank”.
Kadiri further noted that in Africa, some of the symptoms of mental health are similar to that of Malaria, and as such, one should be wary if the symptoms of Malaria remain even after several bouts of treatments from several medical professionals and hospitals because this often signals something fundamentally wrong with the person emotionally. In her words, “When you are mentally unstable, it manifests in the physical form. This is because mental health affects the way you think, feel, and behave. The state of our mental health influences our emotions, and our emotions, influences our behaviors” Kadiri said.
In her closing remarks, Kadiri disclosed that human beings have unique healing and recovery periods, and because mental health is a personal journey, people should be unapologetic about who they are, and who they want to be. “We must all embrace self-care and self-love. This has nothing to do with being selfish. It is having to operate from a place of abundance, because what you do not have, you cannot give” Kadiri said. She called on participants to be self-aware of stressors, to exercise, limit excessive exposure to news and social media, find and engage in pleasurable activities, connect with family, friends, and colleagues, ask for help when needed, rest, and finally, eat right always.
Speaking on the “Treatment and Management of Mental Health disorders”, Dr. Mosun Fapohunda, Consultant Psychiatrist, Hertfordshire Partnership University, NHS Foundation Trust, UK, noted that for treatment and management, early intervention improves outcome, proper diagnosis is essential, and management should always involve the patient, family, and the care giver -a term called co-production. Speaking further, Fapohunda noted that treatment approach should be bio-psycho-social and evidenced based and should involve a multi-disciplinary team of professionals which include psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers, occupational therapists, and the likes.
Fapohunda noted that mental health disorders such as the feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, ideas or acts of self-harm, low mood, poor attention, and concentration etc. can be effectively treated with anti-depressants. In her words, “People who are depressed should seek for help because there is nothing to be ashamed about. People who have hypertension are not ashamed to say so, so people suffering from depression shouldn’t be either” Fapohunda said.
While bringing the programme to a close, the anchor, Managing Director/CEO, FITC, and Global Secretary QRC Global Alumnae, disclosed that the summit trended globally not only because the topic was a subject matter of interest, but most significantly, because of the quality of speakers engaged, and the body of knowledge and experiences that had been shared during the summit. Malize further called on all stakeholders to continue the conversation and create more awareness around mental health issues, to reduce stigma, and ensure patients receive necessary care and live their normal lives.
Notable participants in the Summit include the Most Rev. Valerian Maduka Okeke, Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, represented by Fr. Kevin Chukwuka, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, CEO, NECCI PR, Chief Mrs. Carol Ufere, Retired Director, Nigerian Port’s Authority, Dr Ify Nwakwesi, Founder, The Vibrant Health Protocol, members of the QRC Global Alumnae Association, and guests from across the globe.
