DAILY POST had a media chat with Dr Okwudili Obayi, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki and National Publicity Secretary, Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria. He talked on so many issues concerning mental health and suicide.According to him, “There is a link between economic status and mental health because the impact of economic challenge is on the brain, it is on mental health. So, there is a link.
So it invariably means that if somebody is sick, and needs to go to hospital, they might look at it: if he goes to hospital now, this little money I have, how can I cope? He might not go to hospital when he is supposed to go or even if he goes, might not do all that is required because of the financial challenges and the physical illness might end up affecting his psyche leading to mental problems.
Now the government cannot claim not to be aware because even government officials get involved. It is not just about people who are not in good economic status, even people who are in good economic status at times commit suicide. Many factors contribute to that and government officials are not left out. We are aware of a past president of a country, not in Nigeria, that committed suicide few years ago. So it happens. Government is aware.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2019 report ‘‘Suicide in the world: global health estimates’’, Nigeria has become one of the epicenters of suicide in the world with a suicide estimate of 17.3 per 100, 000. This is higher than the global (10.5 per 100,000)
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Source: NigeriaNewsdesk - 🏆 10. / 63 Read more »