Our Mental Health Policy Seeks to Halt Stigmatisation, Discrimination against Those with Schizophrenia – Lagos

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who disclose this at a press conference to commemorate this year’s world mental health day noted that the State’s Mental Health Policy seeks to increase awareness and sensitization of individuals, communities, vulnerable and special groups to mental health, combat stigma and discrimination against individuals or groups with mental health problems and promote their social inclusion as well as teach early detection and management of sub-normality, autism and other childhood and adolescent mental health issues.

Idris said mental health contributes directly to about 14% of the burden of disease stressing that the contribution of mental health to burden of diseases is underscored by many study reports including the World Development Report and Global Burden Disease Report.

“Essentially, these reports emphasized the need to pay attention to the well-being of those afflicted by mental disorders. More specifically, they make recommendations to expand and improve the current systems of mental health delivery, provide cost effective interventions and provide effective care, enhancing the human resources, establishing national health policies, legislation and programs, encouraging families, communities and users to be involved and engaging in the reduction of stigma and discrimination”, the commissioner said.

He noted that man-made consequences and collateral damage caused by widespread stigma, ignorance and general negative attitude and lack of understanding on the part of the public towards mental ailment need to be vigorously tackled and overcome.

The Commissioner stated that the theme living with schizophrenia is geared towards raising awareness about the mental ailment and mobilizing support for care of individuals with the ailment.

Idris noted that the roles to be played by friends and relations in the care of an individual with Schizophrenia cannot be overemphasized especially in view of the need to encourage individual with signs and symptoms to seek specialist care.

“Friends and relations of an individual with Schizophrenia should encourage the affected individuals to seek specialist care. Friends and relations should also stay positive and supportive, avoid critical comments, get correct information about schizophrenia, be sensitive to the feelings of relatives and friends living with Schizophrenia and encourage them to take their medication.

He noted that while providing care friends and relatives should watch out for early warning signs of relapse and seek for support if they find their role to be challenging.

The Commissioner explained that Schizophrenia is a relatively common illness; and about one out of every hundred human beings may expect to suffer the illness at some time in their lives stressing that the ailment usually requires long term treatment.

“Individuals with schizophrenia may have difficulty distinguishing what is real from what is imaginary, may be unresponsive and withdrawn and have difficulty expressing normal emotions in social settings”, Idris added.

Idris posited that the ailment is often diagnosed between ages 15 and 35 stressing that many of the obviously mentally ill destitute who wander about on the streets of Nigerian towns are suffering from long-standing Schizophrenia.

He also noted that many of the clients who are admitted to long-stay mental health facilities are suffering from Schizophrenia adding that a person with the ailment may be observed talking aloud as he responds to voices he is hearing.

“The speech may be incoherent. There may be a variety of false beliefs and unusual experiences because the individual is out of touch with reality, he may not be aware that he is ill and in need of treatment and so may resist any effort to help him”, Idris said.

Commissioner noted that there is no single test to diagnose schizophrenia adding that the condition is usually diagnosed after assessment by a specialist in mental health stressing also that effective treatments are available for treatment of ailment.

“The treatment available for the disease will include a combination of medication, psychological therapies and rehabilitation” stressing that most people with the condition will recover with appropriate treatment, although some may experience the occasional return of symptoms.

Idris posited that early diagnosis and treatment improves the individual’s chances of maintaining their social relationships and career prospects adding that Individuals living with schizophrenia can maintain their mental well being by learning to recognize the signs of becoming unwell in time, avoiding drugs and alcohols, taking their medication as prescribed, keep follow-up appointments and maintain a healthy lifestyle by engaging in exercise, healthy diet and avoiding harmful habits

“We are better at treating it and minimizing its consequences now than at any other time in previous human history. However the man-made consequences, the collateral damage caused by widespread stigma, ignorance and general negative attitude and lack of understanding on the part of the public need to be vigorously tackled and overcome and that is the purpose of making ‘Living With Schizophrenia’ the topic of celebration for this year’s World Mental Health Day”, the Commissioner said.

Idris opined that there is the need for more mental health workers employed and deployed at the grassroots for the care of the populace adding that the best place for a person with any mental illness to live ultimately is the community and not the hospital.

“Even if a person with Schizophrenia is admitted for treatment in a specialist facility, it is necessary that a system of Community Care be developed to help him ultimately fit back seamlessly into the community”, he added.

The commissioner noted that the Lagos State is developing such a system and has committed itself to developing and implementing a mental health policy that emphasizes that need stressing that the Lagos State Mental Health Policy also seeks to increase awareness and sensitization of individuals, communities, vulnerable and special groups, combat stigma and discrimination against individuals and groups with mental health problem and promote their social inclusion as well as advocate and teach early detection and management of mental sub-normality, autism and other childhood and adolescent mental health issues through mental health promotion.

“I want to assure you that as we celebrate this year’s Mental Health Day, the Lagos State government will remain focused in its continued quest to develop and implement the State’s Mental Health Policy especially mental health promotion to achieve the desired goal of ensuring qualitative mental health care for its citizenry” Idris said.