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The Retreat promises free screening to mark World Mental Health Day

By Stanley Akpunonu
05 October 2017   |   4:15 am
As part of activities to mark the World Mental Health Day (WMHD), Tuesday, October 10, 2017, The Retreat, Nigeria’s purpose built private mental hospital, based in Ikorodu...

As part of activities to mark the World Mental Health Day (WMHD), Tuesday, October 10, 2017, The Retreat, Nigeria’s purpose built private mental hospital, based in Ikorodu, Lagos will hold a mental awareness and free mental health screening on the same day at 10 am.

The WMHD, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is marked with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilising efforts in support of mental health.

The day thus provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental issues to talk about their work and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

In line with the WHO objectives, The Retreat through the mental awareness exercise and free screening aims to add value to mental services in Nigeria across board including education and raising awareness about mental issues in Nigeria in general.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Olufemi Oluwatayo, said: “The WMHD theme this year focuses on ‘Mental Health at the Work Place’. We know that many employers and organisations do not see issues of mental health at the workplace as a priority and many employees may be suffering in silence. We therefore feel that this is an opportunity to help screen people for common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression and advise on treatment pathways if necessary. We are offering a free screening services; skilled Doctors will be on call both on the phone and at the Retreat campus in Ikorodu to offer confidential help.”

The mental health awareness will be coordinated by Oluwatayo who is an award-winning graduate of the University of Ibadan Medical School, currently a consultant psychiatrist and medical director at Milton Park Hospital in United Kingdom (UK). A former Health Advisor to the Lagos State Government, Oluwatayo is a WHO scholar, writer, and a mental health advocate, was also a Welcome Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Manchester, UK.

He said The Retreat’s highly skilled psychiatrists, mental health nurses, therapist assistants, an occupational therapist and a top clinical psychologist will be available to provide dignified care in a therapeutic and serene environment at the Retreat Campus in Ikorodu, Lagos.

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