Medical professionals and health experts have called for immediate and proactive measures to tackle the rising rates of mental health disorders and intake of hard drugs in the country, describing the situation as a national emergency.

According to the experts, during the inauguration of Minds Medica Specialist Hospital and Drug Rehabilitation Centre, a neuropsychiatric facility in Ondo City, the country needs to be worried, considering that 25% to 30% of the population is battling mental health issues.

While disclosing that the lack of adequate facilities to address risk factors and treat people battling mental disorders has been contributing to the high rate of the issue, the founder of Minds Medica, Dr. Jibayo Adeyeye, stated that the idea behind the establishment of the facility was propelled by the critical dearth in accessible care, particularly in Ondo State.

Adeyeye, a medical doctor who is also a lawyer and former legislator, described the facility as a mission rather than a profit venture, with the aim of providing care for those battling mental health challenges and drug addiction, as well as leading advocacy campaigns against substance abuse.

He said: “Mental ailment is not the end of life. It is actually treatable. In Ondo State, there is only one spot where you can be treated for mental illness or drug addiction, and that is the neuropsychiatric hospital in Akure, which is being run by the government.

“With the rate of intake of hard drugs and mental issues in the country, we need to be very worried as a country. We need to be proactive. The problem is huge; it is an underestimation to think it is not a problem. Drug abuse is an epidemic in our society. It is an emergency; it is a problem everybody must be alert to in order to stamp it out of our society. It is a big problem, and we need to work seriously on it.”

On her part, a professor of medicine, Olufunke Adeyeye, who attributed suicide to the rampant use of hard drugs, stressed that a large population of young people is involved in the menace.

While lamenting the consequences of insufficient treatment infrastructure, she said, “If they don’t die, they are locked up somewhere or on the street with no productivity and suffering. When one mental issue is in a family, the whole family suffers.

“We have a lot of young people in schools, and even at home, they take all sorts of drugs, and they end up having nervous breakdowns, and that constitutes another problem for society. It is a threat to the stability and safety of other people.”

Dr. Dokun Adedeji, the Chief Executive Officer of Compassionate Care Recovery Initiative, who delivered the lecture on ‘The Burden of Mental Health Disorder and Drug Addiction in Nigeria’, cited successful recovery stories, including individuals who have become doctors and lawyers, to demonstrate that rehabilitation is possible.

Adedeji, who identified stigma as the core obstacle in the fight against mental ailment, stated that “from estimates, about 25% to 30% of Nigerians have one mental issue or another. And even they say about 15% in the course of their lifetime will have it.

“People can be helped and then live a better life, and they become productive. So it’s not a condemnation. But I think what the problem is in Nigeria is the stigma.”

Meanwhile, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who commissioned the facility, commended Adeyeye for the initiative, stating that it would serve as a beacon of hope for many individuals and families who have been affected by mental health issues and drug addiction.

“Minds Medica’s mission to provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality mental health services is a bold commitment to preserving the values and total well-being of our people in body, mind, and spirit. We are not only opening the doors to a new healthcare facility; we are also sending a powerful message that mental health matters.

“We are saying that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. We are affirming that every individual deserves access to quality mental health care, regardless of their background or socio-economic status.”