Nigeria has a mental health problem

One in four Nigerians suffers from mental illness, but help is hampered by tight budgets and a lack of skilled staff.

On the outside, the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba seems tranquil.

But on the inside of this century-old facility - one of only a half-dozen psychiatric centres in Lagos, and the only one run by the federal government of Nigeria - tensions are running high.

Nigeria's Mental Health System Needs Urgent Attention

Participants today during an online mental health talk facilitated by Mental Health Drive Initiative (MHDi) has called on individuals, groups and government at all levels to pay an urgent attention to the state of the nation's mental health system. This was done in commemoration of Nigeria's 59 years of Independence.

Speaking during the session, which was centered on Nigeria's Mental Health System @ 59 - The past, present and future, the convener of the Initiative, Nurse Faleti D. D. stated that much support is not  being given to mental illness unlike the case of HIV and TB whereby there are free drugs.

Tech Time Not to Blame for Teens' Mental Health Problems

A new study of 400 teens finds little evidence linking excessive smartphone use and mental health outcomes. The study, published in the journal, "Clinical Psychological Science", suggests that the time adolescents are spending on their phones and online is not that bad.

The study tracked young adolescents on their smartphones to test whether more time spent using digital technology was linked to worse mental health outcomes. The researchers --

Four Dead in Romania Psychiatric Hospital Attack

Reports have it that four people have died and nine injured after being attacked by a patient in a psychiatric hospital, Romanian press reports said Sunday. They said a 38-year-old man who had admitted himself to the hospital in Sapoca, northeast of the capital Bucharest, entered a treatment room and attacked other patients with a transfusion stand.

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.

Stigmatization Plays A Key Role In Mental Relapse

Stigmatization is the assignment of negative perceptions to an individual because of perceived difference from the population at large which may occur on the basis of physical appearance, of mental or physical illness, or of various other qualities.