Major stakeholders have called on State Governments to domesticate and implement the new Mental Health Act recently signed into law by the immediate past administration of President Mohammadu Buhari.
The Act, cited as “The Nigerian National Mental Health Act, was passed into Law by the National Assembly on 3 December,2020 and assented by former President Mohsmmadu Buhari on the 28 December,2022, which provides for the establishment of Mental Services Department to promote and protect the right of persons with intellectual, psychological or cognitive disabilities, and, also to provide for enhancement and regulations of mental services in the Country.
The stakeholders made the call, Thursday, after a one day Seminar organized for Media Practitioners in the Southeast on the theme: “Changing The Narratives In Mental Health, The Role Of The Media”, organized by the Methodist Church Nigeria, Amaudo Integrated Mental Health Foundation, in partnership with Abia state Government, Federal Neuro- Psychiatric Hospital Enugu and Amaudo UK.
In a ten point communique issued at the end of the seminar, the organizers disclosed that the aim of the event is to educate the media practitioners on basic mental health issues and their role in creating awareness for efficient and human-right based mental health care in Nigeria.
However, the organizers further believed that the seminar would equally educate the media organizations on their role in creating awareness in mental health and address poor mental health knowledge, negative socio-cultural and religious perceptions and interpretations of mental health that promote stigma and discrimination as well as reduce help seeking behaviors in mental health among the participants.
Very Rev Kenneth Nwubani,Director, Amaudo Integrated Mental Health Foundation
According to the communique , participants at the seminar commended the organizers for putting up such an educating program especially at a time many Nigerians are grappling with the harsh economic challenges occasioned by anti -People’s policies capable of triggering mental health concerns among the populace.
Participants at the seminar called on government to make the study of mental health and other related courses attractive with a view to addressing the shortage of manpower in the mental health sub sector.
Part of the communique reads in part, “Participants called for increased budgetary provisions towards tackling mental health issues and provision of incentives for medical practitioners and Journalists in the field.
“They urged government at all levels to give adequate attention to mental health issues and equip facilities at the Primary health care level to address cases relating to mental health”.
Mr Emma Ndukwe, Chairman, Management Amaudo Integrated Mental Health Foundation
The participants also stressed the need to strengthen relevant government agencies responsible for regulating drug use to restrict access to drugs, especially among the younger population.
According to the communique, the participants however identified lack of adequate knowledge in the area as a challenge and called for regular seminars/trainings for Media Practitioners on mental health issues as a way of properly equipping them to eliminate bias in their reportage and enhance the publicity given to mental health issues.
“They called on Media organizations to design and dedicate adequate time to publicizing mental health issues in their various media outfits as a way of enhancing sensitization of the public.
“Experts in mental health area should be open to discussing mental health related issues with the media as a way of educating the public while families of victims of mental ill health should be encouraged to accommodate and assist them appropriately and avoid stigmatization”.
Dr Okwudiri Obayi, Consultant Psychiatrist & Senior Lecturer,Alex Ekwueme Fed. University Teaching Hospital & Ebonyi state University,Abakaliki
The participants commended the management of Amaudo Integrated Mental Health Foundation for the huge humanitarian services they are rendering and called on the government to urgently address infrastructural deficits in the area, such as lack of access roads and electricity, to support the foundation’s efforts.
The seminar’s participants believe that by implementing these resolutions, the media and the government can play a significant role in changing the narratives around mental health and promoting better mental health care in Nigeria.
