“Strutting aimlessly in one of the numerous streets of a Nigerian large city is a dirty, pale and naked adult – who is unfazed about his unkempt state, and unbothered about his shameful state of undress. The only thing he cares about in this world is his priceless earthly possessions – which may probably consist of some empty beverage tins and maybe a dirty sack bag filled with waste products picked up from the nearest refuse dump.”
Sadly, this is the notion a whole lot of Nigerians have about the idea of mental health problems – in a nutshell, mental health problems have been synonymized by the Nigerian populace to simply mean the degrading term ‘Madness’.
This careless myopic view on the serious issue of mental health has caused a myriad of problems in the Nigerian society today and has given rise to the branding and stigmatization of persons who have challenges with their mental health. These people, who live with us or around us, may be our family members, friends, colleagues at work, classmates, neighbors and church members. Ironically, unknown to us, we may also be living with some form of mental health problems ourselves – As a 2019 study by the World Health Organization showed that some 50 million Nigerians are suffering from some sort of mental health illness. That is a whooping one in four Nigerians!
The consequence of this is that Nigeria is facing a serious mental health crisis and as a nation with a very youthful population, with over 60% of Nigeria’s 200 million people below the age of 25, it is important to note that the major victims of mental health problems and the stigma associated with having mental health problems are with these group of people upon which the future of our great nation is hinged upon: The Nigerian youth.
Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to examine the effects of stigma on the victims of young Nigerians with mental health problems and how can mental health literacy bring an end to this problem of stigma in Nigeria. But before we do that, it is important that we explain in detail the meaning and relationship between our keywords: Stigma, Mental Health, and Mental Health Literacy.
MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY
According to the World Health Organization, mental health is a state of well being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
This definition above is very comprehensive because it highlights the fact that mental health is an integral part of our all round functions as humans and is a driving force that shapes and influences our individual abilities, our social interactions with others, how we handle pleasures or stress and how productive we can be in life. This means that our mental health is also as important as our physical health.
On the other hand, mental health literacy is all about understanding how to obtain and maintain positive mental health which involves understanding mental problems and their treatments, decreasing the stigma related to mental health problems, and enhancing the need to seek qualitative help.
On a clear observation, you will notice that I emboldened the word ‘understanding’ in the definition of mental health literacy above. That is because mental health literacy is all about:
- Understanding what types of different mental health problems we have like Mood disorders (depression and bipolar disorders), Anxiety (Phobias), Personality disorders, Psychotic disorders (Schizophrenia), Trauma-related disorders (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and Substance abuse disorders, etc.
- Understanding why mental health problems happen. What are the causes and triggers of these problems? It could be as a result of factors such as childhood abuse, societal discrimination/stigma, social neglect, prolonged stress, unemployment or poverty, loss of a loved one, heartbreak, hereditary factors, and substance abuse/addiction.
- Understanding how to get help. As a victim of mental health problems, how to seek and get help unashamedly. And as someone without mental health problems, how to empathize and offer help to victims without any form of stigma or discrimination.
THE ASSASSIN CALLED STIGMA
Stigma against people with mental health issues is an anomaly that is very rife in the Nigerian society. The truth is, the majority of Nigerians see people with mental health issues in a negative light. This is as a result of long-held religious, cultural, and social prejudices that run deep within us and have over generations wrongly shaped our socio-cultural value systems. The result of this is that the average Nigerian sees a victim of mental health problems as someone who is possessed by legions of evil spirits or someone who is suffering from the punishment of God due to an abominable act he may have committed. Stigmatization naturally graduates into discrimination as victims of mental illnesses are treated in a negative way, hated, ostracized, denied education/employment opportunities, and even subjected to gross human right violations such as beatings, floggings, and chaining by the society that is supposed to show them love and care.
As a result, people with mental health problems are left with feelings of shame, self doubt and hopelessness. They also become reluctant and afraid to seek help and get treatment, thus trapping them in a very dangerous dark cycle that if left unchecked, will lead them through the download spiral of self destruction.
THE NIGERIAN YOUTH TODAY
With over 60% of the population of a nation facing a serious mental health crisis, youths in Nigeria are the hardest hit by mental problems and the accompanying stigma it is associated with today.
The unfavorable economic, social, security, and educational conditions in the Nigerian society, have made things look really bleak and hopeless for the average Nigerian youth today. All of these coupled with the reality or possibility of abuse they have or may likely face in the hands of people (family, friends, or strangers), or in the hands of government institutions (the Police or the Military) is traumatizing in no small measure.
All of these sad realities have taken a great toll on the mental health of millions of young Nigerians today. This sad trend is clearly evident in the high rate of drug/substance abuse, depression and even suicidal tendencies amongst young Nigerians today.
STIGMA, MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY AND THE NIGERIAN YOUTH: A CALL FOR ACTION
No better time and opportunity have the Nigerian youth gotten to educate him/her and others about the huge impact the state of our mental health has on our individual and collective lives than now. This is because, mental health literacy in the life of the Nigerian youth will effectively:
- Enable the Nigerian youth to effectively understand the current state of his/her mental health and subsequently act on that information by seeking help unashamedly and courageously.
- Enable the Nigerian youth to better observe and understand the mental health situations of others around him/her and offer or recommend help without any form of prejudice, discrimination, and stigma towards the victims.
- Prepare the Nigerian youth to serve as proud ambassadors of mental health literacy and advocacy in their various cities, towns, and communities, as volunteers, teachers, caregivers, and even counselors to those who are battling some form of mental health issues.
- And finally push them to spread the word and spread hope through social and print media, radio, television, flyers, and even word of mouth. They can also introduce victims to reputable institutions, NGOs, foundations, and even hospitals that work in the field of mental health recovery and rehabilitation.
Finally, mental health literacy is the basic and most effective tool to curb this big problem of mental health problems in Nigeria today and also fight stigma. It is therefore very important to note that while the Nigerian youths are the group hardest hit by this severe situation, they are also going to be ones to combat this problem – that is, if they take full responsibility to learn, to teach, and to love.
This should be complemented with support from the government at all levels.
As the future leaders of tomorrow it is important that we must understand, protect and take care of our mental health – and that of others too.
– Izeowayi Izaza Victor