A mental health expert, Mr Pius Wabas, has expressed concern over the limited access to mental healthcare services in Nigeria’s rural communities, warning that many residents remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Wabas, Head of the Out-Patient Department and Behavioural Monitoring Unit at Karu General Hospital, Abuja, raised the concern during an interview with reporters on Monday.
He said rural communities were often neglected in the provision of quality mental healthcare services, leaving many residents without access to professional diagnosis, treatment, and support.
According to him, inadequate attention to rural populations has left many people unaware of underlying mental health conditions that require urgent intervention.
Wabas said some mental health conditions were hereditary, while others were linked to socioeconomic challenges, insecurity, and harmful cultural practices prevalent in several communities.
He attributed poor access to mental healthcare in rural areas to the inadequate number of mental health facilities in underserved regions, which limits treatment options for people living with mental illnesses.
The expert also expressed concern over the shortage of mental health professionals, blaming it on the continued migration of healthcare workers from Nigeria to other countries.
“Even if mental health workers may be convinced by words to be active in rural areas, the security situation in villages and communities remains a major concern to them,” he said.
Wabas noted that many rural residents with mental health conditions often travel long distances to urban centres to access quality treatment and specialised care.
He observed that, in the absence of accessible mental health services, many rural residents resort to traditional, herbal, or spiritual remedies, which are more readily available in their communities.
The expert, however, warned that such approaches might be inadequate for managing several mental health conditions, especially where professional diagnosis, medication, and structured treatment are required.
He clarified that he was not entirely opposed to traditional or spiritual support, provided the treatment environments are safe, hygienic, and the medicines used are verified by appropriate regulatory authorities.
Wabas also raised concerns about the confinement of patients, stressing that violent methods, unhygienic restraints, and other extreme measures should never be accepted as forms of treatment.
“In a traditional environment where patients are chained like dogs over time, flogged or mishandled by herbal doctors, it does not improve the mental, emotional, or psychological well-being of the patient,” he said.
He added that such practices only worsen treatment outcomes and often create conflict between patients and family members, further complicating recovery and reintegration into society.
Wabas recommended that the safest, simplest, and most humane procedures should be adopted when managing patients with mental illness, in line with professional standards.
He said traditional, spiritual, or natural healing methods could complement care, but patients should seek professional medical assistance promptly whenever symptoms persist or treatment proves ineffective.
The expert emphasised the need for every state to establish at least two mental health facilities accessible to rural residents, to reduce pressure on tertiary hospitals with psychiatric units.
He also urged governments at all levels to adequately fund institutions and improve welfare packages to retain mental health professionals and strengthen service delivery nationwide.
Meanwhile, residents of New Karu in Karu Area Council expressed concern over the growing number of persons with mental disorders roaming the streets in tattered clothing and scavenging at dumpsites.
Some residents attributed the situation to the high cost of mental healthcare services, poor access to treatment facilities, and the rising incidence of substance and drug abuse.
