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HomeNewsNigerian govt charged to address poor mental health issues

Nigerian govt charged to address poor mental health issues

Prof. Olu Olatunji, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Studies, Ekiti State University, has approached the Federal Government to focus on hazard factors that can trigger poor emotional wellness.

Olatunji settled on the decision on Saturday as the world remembered World Mental Health Day, with the subject: “Psychological well-being for all”.

World Mental Health Day is seen on October 10 consistently, with the general goal of bringing issues to light of psychological wellness issues far and wide and assembling endeavors on the side of emotional well-being.

The Day gives a chance to all partners taking a shot at psychological wellness issues to discuss their work, and what all the more should be done to make emotional well-being care a reality for individuals around the world.

Prof. Olatunji said some of the factors causing mental ill health include the high rate of crime, unstable polity, stress of daily living, socio-economic downturn, invasive technologies, gender and race issues, poor or unequal access to education and basic necessities of life.

“Mental Health is an important dimension of human health. Other dimensions include Physical, Social and Economic,” he said, indicating that “a global definition of mental health must navigate a fluid contribution of culture, religion, and Socio-Economic concerns.

“A psychological conceptualisation will still recognize some basic ingredients of mental health, such as the presence of mental fitness, availability of certain qualities, competencies, and resources,” Olatunji said.

He said health policies are currently too fixated upon combating diseases and researching into therapies and preventive actions losing much-needed attention to health-promotion.

Olatunji said the year particularly introduced a new urgency for the first time in a century occasioned by the Corona Virus pandemic which made its “landfall” on our global shore early in the year.

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He said the issue of human health blazes the trail once again ahead of other global concerns.

“The Federal Government should involve deliberate policies on inter-sectoral, and interdisciplinary actions in promoting and entrenching positive view of life and general happiness, social efficiency in accomplishing socially inculcated expectations in relationships and work life, effective personality development aided with positive national value orientation, presence of coherence and consistency in addressing challenges and stressor.”

According to him, “Mastery over the social and physical environments, psychological hardiness and resilience in the face of social, economic and environmental challenges are policies the government should evolve.”

Olatunji said there should be spontaneity and autonomy that enables citizen to take individual responsibilities and act positively being less dependent on government.

He said it was cheaper to promote wellness and mental health than to treat illnesses and correct social anomalies arising therefrom.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this is the time for all organisations, healthcare professionals and communities to invest in getting mental health in good order or make efforts to do so.

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