Over 60m Nigerians have mental disorder – Health Commissioner

The Commissioner for Health in Ogun State, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, has stated that over 60 million Nigerians are suffering from various degrees of mental disorder.

He made this known in an interview with journalists in Abeokuta, the state capital, explaining that about 80 per cent of people move about with one mental disorder without knowing or seeking help, while 20-25 per cent live with a full blown mental disorder in the country.

The commissioner stated that cases of mental challenges range from simple minor mood disorder to extreme cases of mental accreditation and added that one, out of every five Nigerian, has an extreme mental disorder.

He disclosed that events that could trigger minor mood disorder that finally leads to extreme mental illness are marital pressure, educational and economic pressure.

Ipaye said other pressures are expectation and disappointment and advocated that community mental homes should be created across the country to socially manage mental disorder at the grassroots level.

While urging the Federal Government to prioritise primary healthcare intervention for minor mood disorder, he advised that people should always go for regular psychotherapy check-up with no cost implication to manage cases of mental challenges before it gets out of hands.