There is Really No Health Without Mental Health

    

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The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing of an individual not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. There is really no health without mental health because the physical health is dependent on the normal functioning of the mind. The theory of psychosomatism has exhaustively demonstrated the linkages between the state of the mind and physical wellbeing. The brain is actually described as the central nervous system because it coordinates all the physiological systems of the body. This explains cessation of menstruation in a woman who is under psychological pressure. The bulk of the cases of hypertension are consequent on probable psychological challenges that send neural and hormonal signals to the heart, the blood vessels and other contiguous organs.  Other illnesses like ulcer, asthma, angina and sporadic skin eruptions may be explained as consequences of mental disturbances. Other health-related issues that arise as  sequelae  of disorders of the mind are avoidable road traffic accidents when the driver is under the influence of alcohol and drugs, sexual indiscretions increasing the vulnerability of contacting HIV-AIDS, poor compliance with vital doctor’s advice, unreasonable dietary habits and defective maternal bonding and attachment in depressed mothers affecting children’s optimum cognitive development. In summary, the millennium development goals remain a dream unless mental health is given a priority since it is the nexus for the fulfilment of these goals. 

In a country like Nigeria where we do not give priority to crucial policies; the mental health bill is still in a coma which is the policy framework for articulating standard mental health practice while we still make do with the obsolete lunatic code. There is a subtle but profound disregard for the mental health needs of the people possibly because of stigmatization with grave consequences.  Policymakers rationalize this failure on the premise of the paucity of relevant statistics crucial for planning. While this point cannot be ignored, the burden of mental health challenges is very apparent; there is no basic family unit in this country that does not have an individual with a mental health challenge. It could be a brother who is not walking around naked but cannot fulfil his basic duties of life despite adequate empowerment. The family has to come up with plans to pay his children’s school fees. It can also be a man who attempts to kill his wife or children when his views are challenged. Young promising lads consume marijuana and alcohol even during school hours in gangs which ultimately affects academic performances as they drop out to become armed robbers or at best political thugs if they do not have frank psychotic illness. It may also be the head of a family who deposits a substantial amount of his salary at a roadside bar with nothing left to feed the family and pay children’s school fees.

Suicide cases are increasingly being reported as a result of the dissolving cultural mask that made such cases rare in the past. This list also includes children who are incapable of executing basic cognitive tasks expected of their age as a result of a birth injury in a poorly equipped maternity manned by an unsupervised birth attendant. There is a growing population of the mentally ill on our streets because of the lack of basic intervention. The abuse of stimulants, alcohol, and addictive drugs with adverse physical and mental health consequences is also common among the elite class. This explains reckless and unwholesome executive decisions in some of our organizations. The outrageous corrupt profiles of our leaders may be due to serious mental health issues which makes reckless acquisition of material desirable at the expense of self-dignity, family values and service to the nation. Ordinarily, religion should protect mental health but it has been a precursor of mental illness as we blame our basic challenges of life on our neighbours and step-siblings, deny reality, experience cognitive dissonance and subsequently end up with mental illness.

Work has become a necessary evil to endure because of poor remunerations even after retirement which is responsible for some of our retirees coming down with myriads of mental health problems while those in active service have an unexplainable decline in work performance or experience insects crawling under the skin or a blowing noise in the ear that disturbs sleep. The extreme cases are those who hear voices of unseen individuals giving them instructions.

There is a need for the family, religious organizations, societies and government at all levels to begin to take the issue of mental health seriously since intervention is cheap, available, and effective. A high index of suspicion for some of these cases is needed and appropriate referrals. Government at all levels should begin to give priority to mental health care in their programmes so that our future can be preserved.

Dr Adeoye Oyewole

adeoyewole2000@yahoo.com

+234 803 490 5808 (WhatsApp Only)