•Mental ill health is no crime. It needs treatment, not stigma
In a message delivered at this year’s World Mental Health Day on October 10, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said statistics showed one out of every six African suffers from mental disorder.
The disclosure draws attention to the crucial need to ensure that the dignity of mental patients are preserved in all aspects, ranging from the care of patients, to the attitude of the general public to people suffering from mental disorder.
Dr. Moeti is definitely not happy — and neither are we — with the mode of treatment of mental patients. According to him, it is unfortunate that “in the course of treatment, some patients are subjected to undignified treatment, such as being chained to trees or beds, locked in a cage, left without food for many hours, deprived of family support, and subjected inadequate personal hygiene”.
On the basis of this inhuman treatment, he went on to say that mental health patients deserve respect and compassion, as they cope with their disease. However, he noted further that some African countries had implemented a range of measures “to improve awareness, restore dignity and access to mental health services at all levels of the health care system”.
This, according to him, includes revision of their mental health legislation so as to protect the rights and dignity of the persons affected by the health condition. He noticed that in spite of these measures, the promotion of good mental health and understanding of its challenges, early detection, treatment and patients’ dignity, are still a concern in many African countries.
Because of cultural hindrance to psychiatric treatment and care, we notice that there is the penchant to live in denial as mental illness appears to be more a thing of shame, even if treatable, as other health challenges.
We also notice that here in Nigeria, for example, there is superstition and even spiritual belief in the treatment of mental illness, which probably explains the cruelty involved in the treatment regime, as noticed by Dr. Moeti, in the homes of traditional mental healers.
The harsh traditional method of healing has fuelled the age-old stigmatization of patients with mental illness. That reinforces the discouragement of people to seek medical help, even in orthodox hospital like the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, which has been referred to, in the local parlance, as “Yaba apa osi” (literally meaning,”Yaba of the left side”), where some or right-thinking people should not go!
Even, Yaba’s famous pioneer neuro-psychiatric facility at Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has developed a rather odd connotation, if not outright stigma. If students bawl Aro! on some university campuses, they probably insinuate the person they hail needs to see a shrink — and fast!
On mental health stigma, therefore, there is an urgent need to further enlighten the people. Mental illness is like any other: malaria, ear or eye problem, which can be treated and cured. The patient should not be stigmatized. Stigma only complicate things: the patient is depressed; the society is hostile and everyone loses.
Be all these as they may, it is better to prevent cases of mental illness. We, therefore, advise that African countries should put in place policies that would greatly reduce the day-to-day stress of people, as stress often triggers mental ill health.
Poverty, however, is at the root of stress. So, government policies should fundamentally aim at eliminating poverty. With the basics taken care of, there is the probability of less general depression, which often leads to nervous breakdowns.
Some churches and mosques are also involved in the care, if not treatment, of mental disorder. However, unlike what obtains in Europe and the United States of America, only a few of our priests involved in this area are trained as clinical counsellors; and thus tend to rely on prayers alone.
But while prayers are okay, we advise the churches and mosques to persuade their affected members to seek proper medical care; and while getting treatment, these faith-based orgwnisations should render the patients full institutional support, oozing love, compassion and empathy — again stressing that a mental illness patient is no outcast that must be stigmatized and discriminated against.
It is nothing to cheer that WHO statistics suggests mental health might just be becoming an epidemic in Africa. But the statistics should hallmark a vigorous call to action.
A stitch in time, saves nine.
