Sokoto state Psychiatric Hospital sensitises residents on mental health

The Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Kware in Sokoto State, has conducted a road show to sensitize residentnts on mental health.

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According to Medical Director of the Hospital, Prof. Shehu Sale, the event was in commemoration of the 2023 World Mental Health Day, with the theme: “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right.”

He said the effort was part of progressive approaches to create awareness on mental health, substance abuse and related issues as well as decriminalize mental health perspectives to facilitate more access.

“We are looking beyond celebrating this day and look closely at the individuals around us with the eyes of empathy.

“If one suffers from a disease, there is no reason to be stigmatized or to be criminalized, mental health is an integral part of health system which is a complete state of physical, social and mental wellbeing.

“Mental Health Act, the policy, the guidelines to be developed, all of those represent an approach that we are taking as a country,” Sale said.

He urged that access, affordability and quality of mental health care should be an important direction that should be taken in the context of extant strategic blueprint for health.

According to him, the hospital also provides integrated health services, providing treatment on forms of illnesses with standard laboratory services and other tests besides mental health services in an effort to reduce stigma associated with such facilities.

In his address, the hospital’s Head of Clinical Services, Dr Adebisi Adebayo, said mental health was a universal human right and needed to be integrated into health services at all levels.

He stressed that mental health deserved more practical strategies to prevent and manage common mental health conditions, and how to empower journalists to diligently report on them.

He lamented that mental health disorders had increased, affecting 15 per cent of working age adults globally, saying that at least one out of four persons had mental health challenges.

Adebayo added that mental health was beyond the traditional issues as substance abuse especially among the youths had become a scourge that should be focused on.

He said, “It is really affecting our society, it is actually causing disruption to the lives of our youths and adolescents.

“As a government, we are looking into this angle and putting programmes and policies in place to tackle this major scourge.”