Over 60m Nigerians are suffering from mental illness – President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria

The President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), Prof. Taiwo Obindo, has said that more than 60 million Nigerians suffer from mental illnesses.

Speaking during a recent interview with journalists, Obindo said: “Mental healthcare is in a sorry state given that we have more than 60 million Nigerians suffering from various mental illnesses and the fact that only about 10 per cent of them were able to access appropriate care.

We are left with more than 90 per cent who are unable to access care and this group is called the treatment gap for mental illnesses,’’ Obindo said.

He said the gap was a result of various factors like the knowledge gap in which people do not have appropriate information about the causes and treatment for mental illnesses.

Obindo said some factors hindering the management of mental illness in Nigeria included myths and traditional beliefs; inadequate mental health facilities and a number of mental health professionals. According to him, the few available mental health facilities were located in the city centres.