The Provost of the Institute of Counselling in Nigeria (ICN), Dr. Tolulope Oko-Igaire, has urged Nigerians to visit professional counsellors and psychotherapists regularly for mental health checks to ensure they are in the right frame of mind considering the increasing rate of suicide, depression and other related issues in the country.

This was even as a mental health expert, Dr. Esther Okogbenin, yesterday said one out of every four Nigerians suffer from mental health problems, noting that over 90 per cent of the number do not have access to professional care.

Oko-Igaire spoke recently during an event tagged Online Marathon Mental Health Awareness Campaign organised by the ICN to commemorate this year’s World Mental Health Day, which held with the theme ‘Make Mental Health and Wellbeing for All a Global Priority’.

The marathon conversation online, through which the institute reached out to millions of people, was thought provoking and insightful.

She said: “As a matter of fact, individuals need to go for a regular mental health check with a counsellor or therapist just as we do with our physical health. There is no need to wait for signs before this. However, when an individual finds it difficult to live life optimally, finding it hard to cope with life, then there is a need to talk to a counsellor. This differs from person to person.

“I believe that mental health should be given utmost priority. As a matter of fact, a health check should not be complete without the inclusion of mental health check. Well-being is the bedrock of a balanced functional life hence the need to make the importance of well-being known across the globe.

“Well-being covers the emotional, physical, social and psychological areas of human existence. Innovation of channels with which the need for well-being can reach the whole world should be the most important conversation right now.”

Oko-Igaire explained further that it was difficult to concentrate and give one’s best if the mind is not settled.

“To get the best out of a team, everyone must be in their best and balanced mental state. This is the only way maximum productive output is guaranteed,” she stated.

Commenting on the impact the institute was making in the field of counselling and psychotherapy in Africa, she said the institute has been big on training, partnerships and collaborations.

“We are intentional about producing professional and certified counselors across Africa. We also collaborate with the federal and state governments as well as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to ensure that the gap of ignorance is bridged and mental health made accessible to all.

Speaking at an event organised by the Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Medicine, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Edo State, in collaboration with the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) to mark this year’s World Mental Health Day, Okogbenin said government at all levels in the country should commit to providing the enabling environment that would promote good mental health for the citizens.

She also advised Nigerians to shun practices that could be harmful to their mental health, such as substance abuse, to prevent coming down with mental illness.

Okogbenin, who is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Head, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Medicine at the ISTH, lamented the harsh situation in the country, saying people with severe mental health conditions die prematurely, as much as two decades earlier, due to preventable physical conditions.

She added that two of the most common mental health conditions – depression and anxiety – costs the global economy $1 trillion every year.

“Mental health conditions account for 16 per cent of the global burden of diseases and injuries in people aged 10-19 years. An estimated 10-20 per cent of adolescents globally experience mental health conditions. Half of all mental health conditions start by 14 years of age but most cases are undetected and untreated.

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds. Globally, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. Effective prevention and treatment exist. Most people do not have access to effective care,” she added.

Some early warning signs of mental illness, according to her, include having unexplained aches and pains; feeling helpless and hopeless; feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on the edge, angry, upset, worried or scared; severe mood swings, among others.

As a way out, she recommended regular exercise and physical activity, seven hours daily sleep, avoiding substance abuse, avoiding of self-criticism and refraining from unnecessary conflicts, among others.

In his remark, the Chief Medical Director of ISTH, Prof. Sylvanus Okogbenin, who was represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Prof. R. A. Eifediyi, disclosed that the hospital recently built a 40-bed facility to take care of cases of substance abuse and to also treat people with other mental health illnesses.

The CMD gave assurance that the hospital management would continue to support the department to create more awareness, and also make sure that they collaborate with other health institutions all over the world to reduce cases of mental health disorders to the barest minimum.