Psychiatrist Recommends Early Presentation To Tackle Mental Health
A Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Caleb Udogwu, has advised Nigerians to report persons with mental ill health early at recognised health facilities for medical interventions.
Udogwu, who works with the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos Southwest Nigeria, gave the advice in an interview on Tuesday.
The psychiatrist said that “early report and diagnosis of mental ailments would help to curtail the number of rising cases in the country.”
He said that “mental health cases were on the increase in the country because they were hardly reported at the right hospitals and at the right time as most people patronised traditional healers first.”
Early medical intervention
According to him, mental health conditions can be easily controlled if such cases are taken to the right hospitals in good time for proper diagnosis and treatment.
”Early medical intervention is key to treatment of any ailment particularly mental ailments.
”Unfortunately, people with mental health challenges suffer a lot of dejection, denials, stigmatisation and discrimination, which were not helpful to management and recovery from their conditions.
”A lot of them were denied access to mental health services and were rather chained and locked up or taken to traditional healers where their conditions were allowed to become more complicated…This most times are due to the traditional/ cultural beliefs, stigmatisation and misconceptions associated with mental illness in society,” he said.
He decried the stigma usually associated with mental health condition, saying it was a factor that discouraged people from seeking medical help.
Udogwu noted that to determine a mental health diagnosis and check for related complications, a physical examination, laboratory tests and a psychological evaluation may be required.
He also said that it was necessary that mental health cases should be reported to recognised health facilities.
Udogwu traced the cause of mental health conditions to drug abuse, depression, hardship or hereditary, but maintained that it could be cured if it was detected and treated early.
He urged Nigerians to watch their mental health by going for mental health assessment and treatment to ensure their mental health fitness.
NAN/ Mercy Chukwudiebere
