‘We all have mental health,’ says Prof. Sheikh, urges Nigerians to protect theirs

At Vanguard’s 3rd Mental Health Summit, held connected Friday astatine the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Prof. Taiwo Sheikh, the Continental Representative for Lifeline International, made an affectional entreaty to Nigerians to prioritise their intelligence well-being, reminding everyone that intelligence wellness is cosmopolitan and captious to mundane life.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Sheikh stressed that intelligence wellness should not lone beryllium discussed erstwhile radical autumn sick oregon look crises but should beryllium treated arsenic the instauration of wide wellness.

“Our intelligence wellness is an aggregate of our emotional, psychological, and societal well-being. It affects however we consciousness and act, and it besides helps find however we subordinate to others, marque choices, and grip stress. The information is, we each person intelligence wellness — which we request to beforehand and support successful bid to forestall intelligence distress and illness,” helium said.

He warned that the deficiency of entree to intelligence wellness attraction and wide stigma proceed to deepen the situation successful Nigeria, linking these challenges to the alarming complaint of suicide.

“Suicide is not intelligence illness, but intelligence unwellness is portion of suicide. Ninety per cent of termination deaths are related to intelligence wellness conditions and substance usage disorders, and implicit 70 per cent of specified deaths are owed to intelligence wellness conditions. Poor entree to intelligence wellness attraction is simply a immense hazard origin — and that is what is fuelling suicidality successful our country,” helium explained.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), termination is the 3rd starring origin of decease among radical aged 15 to 29 worldwide, and the 2nd successful Africa, lone down roadworthy accidents. In Nigeria, astir 15,000 radical dice by termination each year, though the existent fig is believed to beryllium higher owed to underreporting and criminalisation.

Prof. Sheikh called for a broad nationalist termination prevention plan, decriminalisation of suicide, and a dedicated money to amended entree to intelligence wellness enactment and involution services.

He concluded by reaffirming that protecting intelligence wellness should beryllium a shared nationalist priority, saying it affects each Nigerian careless of presumption oregon circumstance.

The station ‘We each person intelligence health,’ says Prof. Sheikh, urges Nigerians to support theirs appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.