Psychiatrist links rising mental illness to Nigeria’s economic crisisPsychiatrist links rising mental illness to Nigeria’s economic crisis
Obindo, who is also a consultant psychiatrist, made the assertion in an interview with reporters on Thursday in Lagos.
He said that lack of food, insecurity, inflation, and the growing number of unemployed and underemployed Nigerians had left many people frustrated, a situation that could lead to depression and suicidal thoughts.
According to him, the country’s economic situation is particularly unfavourable to the average Nigerian, noting that widespread hardship had increased vulnerability to mental health disorders.
Obindo explained that many Nigerians were experiencing high levels of stress due to prevailing socio-economic challenges.
He listed factors such as the high cost of living, kidnapping, financial difficulties, inflation, poverty, child abuse, broken homes, traumatic experiences and various forms of violence as contributors to poor mental health.
According to him, these challenges have negatively affected the country’s mental health indices, with many people experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma and frustration, while others contemplate suicide.
“The current economic hardship, coupled with poverty and other social factors, is likely to expose more Nigerians to mental illness and could lead to an increase in suicide rates.
“People who are predisposed to these social factors are more likely to develop mental health conditions.
“This underscores the need for the government to introduce effective policies to revive the economy and ensure the full implementation of the National Mental Health Act,” he said.
Obindo noted that the Act provides a framework to reduce stigma, improve access to mental healthcare and protect the rights of people living with mental health conditions.
He stressed that suicide prevention had become more critical, citing global statistics that showed suicide accounted for about 720,000 deaths annually.
According to him, suicide is the third leading cause of death globally and the second leading cause of death in Africa, occurring more frequently in low- and middle-income countries.
He, therefore, called for intensified efforts to stabilize the nation’s economy, alongside community-based and social interventions and a stronger healthcare system, to address the growing mental health burden.
