New Year Message: Make Your Mental Health Count

This day signifies the opening of a new calender; a day expected and cherished by many. It's a day that also signifies a new chapter of our lives among others.

Reflection on the past years is an exercise carried out on a day like this. This includes reflection on every aspects of our lives leading to decisions to continue, discontinue or restructure certain actions that affects us.

In this new year, as we put our lives in order for what the year is bringing, let's make our mental health count. Years before now, including 2020, may have had enormous burden on your mental health as individuals, your families, your societies and so on, this is the time to make it count.

Mental health has suffered a lot of neglect which has had significant impact on our lives directly and indirectly. The disproportionate focus on severe mental health issues has also led to the neglect of mild to moderate mental illness.

High burden of mental ill health has led to reduced quality of life, loss of productivity and premature mortality, which necessitate the need to pay attention to our mental health this year.

The pandemic that sent the whole world into panic last year had its toil too on our mental health. Many people will likely feel the impacts of the pandemic more this year. Therefore, let your mental health count this new year.

Pay attention to little details about your mental health. It’s very important to take care of yourself and get the best out of life.

Speak out this new year. Talk about how you feel as this can help you stay in good mental health. Dealing with times when you feel troubled won't be difficult when you speak out.

Ask for help when and where necessary; when things are getting too much for you and you have the feeling that you can't cope. Take a break from activities when necessary to relieve yourself from stress.

Boost your self esteem by doing what you are good at, which gives you pleasure and satisfaction. Accept who you are and care for others.

Finally, keep active, eat well because a diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.

Remember, mental health is total health.

Happy new year.

Daniel D. Faleti

Convener, Mental Health Drive Initiative

Mental Health: Keeping the Eyes and Ears to Save the Brain

Dear colleagues, there is no Nigerian who will hear or watch the gory incidences of black Tuesday, 20th October, 2020 at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos and will not feel disturbed. Whoever is indifferent to such a gruesome murder is not human.

WMHD2020 – Mental Health for All: Greater Investment – Greater Access

Today is World Mental Health Day. It is a day observed on 10th October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The theme for this year’s celebration is Mental Health for All: Greater Investment – Greater Access. The goal of this year’s World Mental Health Day campaign is to increased investment in mental health. 

According to the World Health Organisation, this year’s World Mental Health Day came at a time when our daily lives have changed considerably as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The past months have brought many challenges: for health-care workers who provides care in difficult circumstances, with the fear of contracting the virus; for students who have had to adapt to taking classes from home, with little contact with teachers and friends, and who are anxious about their futures; for workers whose livelihoods are threatened; for the vast number of people caught in poverty or in fragile humanitarian settings with extremely limited protection from COVID-19; and for people with mental health conditions, many experiencing even greater social isolation than before; and the grief of losing a loved one, sometimes without being able to say goodbye.

According to a new WHO survey, the current COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or stopped critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing. The survey showed the devastating impact of COVID-19 on access to mental health services and underscores the urgent need for increased funding. The pandemic has had different impacts on many, ranging from psychological, social and economic impacts such as loss of income, isolation, fear and anxiety, bereavement, etc. Some of these impacts are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones. This is increasing the demand for mental health services. 

This is an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide. It is expected that the need for mental health and psychosocial support will substantially increase in the coming months and years. Investment in mental health programmes at the local, national and international levels, which have already suffered from years of chronic underfunding, is now more important than it has ever been, with countries spending less than 2 per cent of their national health budgets on mental health, and struggling to meet their populations’ needs.

Leaders are to make sure they move fast and start making decisions to invest more in life-saving mental health programmes  ̶  during the pandemic and beyond. Mental health needs increased investment. WHO has issued guidance to countries on how to maintain essential services, including mental health services  ̶  during COVID-19 and recommends that countries allocate resources to mental health as an integral component of their response and recovery plans. International funders are also advise to do more in investing in mental health.

Advocacy in Mental Health Nursing

Over the last three decades, the needs and rights of persons with severe mental disorders have become more visible. Families and subsequently, consumers developed organizations enabling their voices to be heard. They were joined and supported by various non-governmental organizations, many mental health workers and their associations and some governments.

COVID-19: Promoting Our Mental Well-being

As the cases of COVID-19 infection rises in Nigeria and around the world, it is imperative that we put our mental health into consideration. According to a popular saying in the field of mental health, “mental health is total health”, sound mental health gives us the opportunity to take care of the other aspects of our health e.g. physical health, social health, etc. The current situation can lead to the breakdown of our mental health if not properly handled, leading to issues like fear, anxiety disorders, depression, etc.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During the COVID-19 Outbreak - Excerpts from World Health Organisation

According to World Health Organization (2020):

1. COVID-19 has and is likely to affect people from many countries, in many geographical locations. When referring to people with COVID-19, do not attach the disease to any particular ethnicity or nationality.

Stress Reduction and Management - II

6. Keep a Stress Diary: Keeping a stress diary for a few weeks is an effective stress management tool as it will help you become more aware of the situations which cause you to become stressed. Note down the date, time and place of each stressful episode, and note what you were doing, who you were with, and how you felt both physically and emotionally.

Give each stressful episode a stress rating (on, say, a 1-10 scale) and use the diary to understand what triggers your stress and how effective you are in stressful situations.

Stress Reduction and Management - I

Pressure and Stress are bound to arise daily from our work, family, society and expectations. Also, most patients are having it rough due to overwhelming stress. How we identify and manage these stress makes a great difference. Lets review some of these key tips:

1. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine: Avoid, or at least, reduce your consumption of nicotine and any drinks containing caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and so will increase your level of stress rather than reduce it.

Alcohol is a depressant when taken in large quantities, but acts as a stimulant in smaller quantities. Therefore, using alcohol as a way to alleviate stress is not ultimately helpful.