Disturbed by the rising cases of stress and trauma in their day-to-day activities, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Chapter, in partnership with the Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF), has launched a new initiative to address the mental health challenges facing media practitioners.

Speaking at a special training session on mental health for journalists held in Kaduna, the NUJ State Council Chairman, Alhaji AbdulGafar Alabelewe, represented by the Council Secretary, Comrade Gambo Santos Sanga, said the initiative was an investment in the total well-being of journalists who are often exposed to distressing and traumatic events in the line of duty.

He lamented that journalists, in their bid to break the news and keep the public informed, frequently witness grisly accident scenes, insurgency attacks, and violent crimes, or interview victims of tragedies who experience that leave deep emotional scars.

He said, “This is why today’s training is not just another workshop, but a deliberate effort to help us recognise signs of stress, trauma and burnout, and to learn coping mechanisms that will enable us to remain resilient and balanced.”

Alabelewe commended AMDF for being a steadfast partner to the Kaduna NUJ over the years, supporting capacity-building programmes that have ranged from investigative journalism to fact-checking and now mental health.

Besides, the Executive Director of AMDF, Sekyen Dadik, said the foundation placed a premium on the well-being of journalists, noting that the idea for the training was sparked by the strong interest shown during a mental health session at the 2024 Africa Conference on Development Journalism.

“This is a project dear to my heart. As we acknowledge the critical role journalists play in shaping society, we must also recognise the unique challenges they face, which can impact their mental health,” she said.

Dadik expressed appreciation to the NUJ Kaduna Council for its willingness to collaborate and singled out the resource person, Dr. Sanni Kamaldeen, for his commitment to promoting mental well-being among journalists.

In his lecture, Dr. Kamaldeen, a specialist psychiatrist, urged journalists to pay close attention to signs of stress, anxiety and emotional exhaustion, stressing that mental health was just as important as physical health.

He challenged media professionals to break the culture of silence around psychological struggles and seek help when necessary, assuring that timely interventions could prevent more serious complications.

The training, participants said, could not have come at a better time, given the increasingly hostile and traumatic environments in which journalists often work.