The Director Amaudo Integrated Mental Health Foundation, the Very Rev’d Kenneth Nwaubani, has revealed that the Foundation is taking significant steps to revive Community based Mental Health Clinics and strengthen partnerships with the Abia State Government to enhance mental health care delivery across the state.
The Very Rev’d Nwaubani who made the disclosure while interacting with Newsmen in Umuahia, said the Center is collaborating with the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu, with the aim to bring essential mental health care services closer to the people.
He also announced the establishment of a Cohort-based Mental Health program in Uzuakoli which would cater for the Mental Healthcare needs of the people at the grassroots.
The Very Rev’d Nwauubani said that the program, slated to run for two years, seeks to uncover patterns of behavior and lifestyle choices that may contribute to Mental Health issues among the people.
According to him, the initiative aims to study the Mental Health needs of Women, Youths, and Men in the community, identify gaps, and develop tailored solutions to bridge the gaps.
“A cohort is a group of people with similar ideologies or characteristics. In Uzuakoli, we’re focusing on women, youths, and men, who share certain things in common. We aim to identify their mental health needs and address the gaps,” he explained.
Rev. Nwubani while highlighting the importance of understanding the unique experiences and challenges faced by different demographic groups, noted that insights gained from the study will be instrumental in informing Mental Health service delivery across Abia State.
“This initiative will help us understand why people engage in certain behaviors within their local context.
“By identifying these patterns, we can develop strategies to improve mental health outcomes and even prevent certain issues in other localities.
“The findings will also provide evidence-based recommendations to the Government for policy and service improvements in other parts of Abia State”. Rev. Nwubani stated.
He emphasized that the Foundation is committed to raising awareness about mental health, encourage help-seeking behaviour, improving access to mental health care, and reducing stigma and discrimination against individuals with mental illness.
The Director while lamenting the adverse effects of the economic hardship on people’s mental health, urged the public to utilize the mental health services available at their clinic, located at No. 55 Eket Street by Enugu Road, Umuahia.
