MONDAY HEALTH BURST: MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being of a person. It is the state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment or someone with absence of mental illness. These mental health issues include, but not limited to; mood disorders, psychotic disorder, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, autism, eating disorders, personality disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.
According to WHO, one in four Nigerians are suffering from some sort of mental illness, which means that about 50 million Nigerians are suffering from either issues that affect how they think, feel, behave or make choices. No wonder, according to WHO report in 2016, Nigeria was revealed to have the 6th highest suicidal rate among African countries with over 17,000 lives lost. From 2016 till date, the figures continue to be on the increase.
Factors responsible for mental illnesses according to various research include; stigmatization, childhood abuse, trauma, social isolation, neglect, social disadvantage, poverty or debt, losing a loved one, severe or long-term stress, among others. There are also some biological factors responsible for mental disorder such as; genetic/heredity factors, injury to the Brain, deficits of the brain caused during development in pregnancy or at birth, infection, substance abuse, and poor nutrition.
Some important signs of mental illness that can be observed include; prolonged periods of grief, sadness or irritability, extreme high or low mood swings, increase level of fear, anxiety or worry, withdrawal from society, dramatic changes in daily life habits, etc.
Mental wellness is very important as it helps to realize one’s full potentials, cope with life stress, work productively and make meaningful contributions to the society. To maintain a positive mental health; exercise regularly, eat balanced and healthy meals, speak up when you need to, taking a break when needed, remember something you are grateful for and sleep well.
As always said, “Early detection is key to survival”. If any of the above signs are noticed anywhere, kindly seek help or refer victims to appropriate quarters. One can get professional help if need be. Also, connect with others, stay positive, help others and develop coping skills to keep a positive mental well-being.
