The wife of the Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, has described the increasing rate of depression in the country as a disturbing trend.
Mrs. Ugwuanyi made the remark at an event commemorating this year’s World Health Day organized by U-TOLF, her health pet project and acronym for Ugo’s Touch of Life Foundation in collaboration with World Health Organization.
The Enugu State First Lady noted at the event with the theme, Depression: Lets Talk, that many people tend to suffer and die of the condition due largely to ignorance and lack of support.
“Depression is something we can’t see, but it’s nonetheless a leading cause of death in people,” said Mrs Ugwuanyi, who was represented at the occasion held at the Government House premises by Mr. Stanley Okere, an official of the foundation.
Earlier in an address, Dr. Femi Taiwo of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, enumerated some of the symptoms of depression as prolonged feeling of sadness, reduced energy and activity level, loss of interest in what was previously one’s hobbies, reduced appetite and sleep, among others.
He advised people to always consult a psychiatric doctor once they find themselves in such state, adding that the economic situation in the country has further made individuals prone to depression.
“People should always take things easy and commit everything to the hands of God”, he said.
