Half of mental illnesses begin by age 14, good mental health mean, Mental illness

Date: 2021-08-21

A psychiatrist, Dr Ayotunde Omotoso says contrary to many people's perspectives, one in five children and adolescents has mental illness, the leading cause of disability among people who are young.

Omotosho, a consultant psychiatrist at the University of Ilorin, speaking at the Asido Foundation's August 2021 Interactive Monthly Community Engagement webinar titled "Youth and the Changing Mental Health Needs of Today's World," said mental illness is prevalent in adolescents and half of all the mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 and three-quarters by the mid-20s.

According to him, "If you see anybody with a mental illness, anybody at all, chances are that that illness started, when they were adolescent or at least, in their youthful years."

The child and adolescent psychiatrist said the traditional mental health needs of youths have transitions beyond what they were to include COVID-19 related-manifestations.

He declared: "There are some problems that may not necessarily be sexual, but the important nonetheless such as suicide are on the rise. For instance, the rates have risen in the last couple of years by over 300% and that means that we really need to pay attention to it.

"For depression, the rates are on the rise. The symptom of depression in youths is often not the same as we would see in older people. Older people may come with undue sadness and feeling weak in their body. But young people may just be cranky or angry; they want to be alone, sleeping too much and spending more time than usual on the internet."

Dr Omotoso said some of the changing mental health needs of adolescents aside from their traditional sexual and reproductive needs are related to globalisation, migration, social media and COVID-19 stress-related disorders.

He stated that meeting mental health needs of adolescents in Nigeria would require scaling up youth friendly psychiatry services that had one psychiatrist to a million Nigerians; strengthen and support social determinants of health like education and nutrition, increase research on mental health and the passage of the Nigeria's mental health bill into law.

Chief Executive Officer, Asido Foundation, Dr Jibril Abdulmalik, stated that the foundation was established to counter the ocean of ignorance, shame and stigma around mental health by providing evidence-based information and engaging in advocacy and intervention activities, with an overall aim to improve the mental health of all Nigerians.

He stated that resilience; overcoming adversity, perseverance and surmounting the odds are all attributes everyone needs to enjoy a good mental health and well being.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Haleeman Salman     Kawu     National Party Of Nigeria     NAWOJ     Shehu Adaramaja     Otuka     Ola Falade     Victor Gbenga Yusuf     Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board     ANCOPPS     Boko Haram     Arinola Lawal     Issa Baba     Ballah     Halidu Danbaba     Abdulrazaq Aiyelabegan     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Simeon Sayomi     Jimoh Bashir     Ayodele Kuburat Olaosebikan     Aminat Omodara     ARMTI     Ganiyu Abolarin     Eruku     Bashir Badawi     C2c@kwarastate.gov.ng     Shettima     Chief Imam Of Offa     Abdulkareem Alabi     Quarry Royal Valley     Femtech     Gwanara     Adewuyi Funmilayo     Durosinlohun Atiku     Kwara State Sports Commission     Taofik Abdulkareem     ER-KANG Mining Nigeria Company Limited     KwaraLearn     Ahmad Ali     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Ltd     Bola Shagaya     Saidu Isa     Saka Balikis Kehinde     Suleman Abubakar     Ronke Adeyemi     Makama     Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu     Saka Asiat Ayinke     Amuda Aluko     Government High School (GHS), Adeta     SSA Youth Engagement     Benin Republic     Hussein Olokooba     Oladipo Akanmu Tolani     CELF     Bello Oyedepo     Yomi Ogunsola     Shuaib Olarongbe     National Broadcasting Commission     Lotus Bank     Bio Ibrahim     Peter Obi     Col. Ibrahim Taiwo     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     Tunde Oyawoye     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Musa Aibinu     NITDA     Towoju     Seed Technologies     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     Abubakar Imam     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Sango-UITH Road     Dan Masanin     Baba Idris     Yekini Adio    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Isiaka Danmeromu     Ayodele Shittu     Tayo Awodiji     NAWOJ     Opobiyi     Muhammad Akande Olarewaju Odunade     Yemi Sanni     Lola Olabayo     John Olobayo     Kaosarah Adeyi     Suleiman Ajadi     Amuda Musbau     Samuel Adedoyin     Alagbado     Oro Grammar School     Shettima     Asa LGEA School     Kwara Consultative Forum     Emir Of Lafiagi     Ifelodun     Ayinde Oyepitan     Kwara Central     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Oladimeji Thompson     Alaro     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Moses Afolayan     Owo Isowo     Bello Bature     Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union     Nigerian Medical Association     Toyosi Thomas     Adedeji Onimago     General Hospital, Ilorin     Yunus Lawal     Saduki Lafiagi     Kwara NIPR     KWASEIC     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Otunba Taiwo Joseph     Abdullahi AbdulMajeed     Curfew     Ilorin General Hospital     Saliu Ajibola Ajia     Abatemi Usman     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Oba Sulaiman Asude     Kayode Bankole     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Kaiama     Turaki Of Ilorin     ENetSuD     Okeose Christian Cementary     CELF     Olokoba Sulyman     Logun     IF-K     Turaki     ARMTI     Solomon Edojah     Babs Iwarere     Amusement Park     Kola Bukoye     Rafiu Olasile     Musibau Akanji     Binta Sulyman     Saliu Oluwole     COVID-19 Palliatives     Oba Abdulrahim     Abdulmutalib Shittu     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Bola Shagaya     Na\'Allah     Kumbi Titilope     Abiodun Abdulkareem