THE World Health Organisation yesterday warned that over 24 million Nigerians may suffer from various mental disorder(s), a situation worsened by the dismal number of health institutions and professionals.
The frightening revelation was contained in the global agency’s 2018 report released at a workshop on health reporting during emergencies in Yola.
The document observed that with the prevalence of mental disorder among Nigerians put at 12.1 per cent, many people from the North East might suffer one form of disorder or the other.
No wonder the incidence and prevalence of mental disoders in our society have tremendously increased. Right now, Nigeria has a suicide epidemic that has been connected to mental illnesses like depression and schizophrenia. Mental illness leading to suicides, a disorder ones erroneously tied to poverty and spirituality now affects the high and low including men of God.
But what could be the causes of mental disorder?
Causes of mental illness
According to researchers are still trying to understand what causes mental illness. There is no one cause — it can happen due to a mix of factors including genetics, how your brain works, how you grew up, your environment, your social group, your culture and life experience.
Some examples of these factors include:
- Genetic factors: having a close family member with a mental illness can increase the risk. However, just because one family member has a mental illness doesn’t mean that others will.
- Drug and alcohol abuse: illicit drug use can trigger a manic episode (bipolar disorder) or an episode of psychosis. Drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and amphetamines can cause paranoia.
- Other biological factors: some medical conditions or hormonal changes.
- Early life environment: negative childhood experiences such as abuse or neglect can increase the risk of some mental illnesses.
- Trauma and stress: in adulthood, traumatic life events or ongoing stress such as social isolation, domestic violence, relationship breakdown, financial or work problems can increase the risk of mental illness. Traumatic experiences such as living in a war zone can increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Personality factors: some traits such as perfectionism or low self-esteem can increase the risk of depression or anxiety
The top 10 mental illnesses in Nigeria are:
- Schizophrenia
- Depression
- Mania
- Bipolar affective disorder
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Substance or drug abuse
- Trauma-related mental illness such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety disorder
- Personality disorder
- Eating disorder eg. anorexia or bulimia
- Addiction
- Sexual disorder
News item from WHO was culled from the NATION
The causes of Mental Disorder was culled from HEALTHDIRECT
