The time is now: reforming Nigeria's outdated mental health laws

Ugochukwu, Obianuju; Mbaezue, Nkechi; Lawal, Saheed Akinmayọwa; Azubogu, Chris; Sheikh, Taiwo Lateef; Vallières, Frédérique

doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(20)30302-8

Cited by 25 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Nigeria’s health system is underfunded, and it is characterized by health inequity and poor access to health care, particularly for those in rural areas where most older Nigerians reside (George-Carey et al, 2012; Welcome, 2011). About 80% of people with mental health needs cannot access care due to inadequate resources and negative cultural attitudes about mental disorders reinforced by an outdated/ineffective mental health legislation (Ugochukwu et al, 2020). Abdulmalik et al (2019) argued that the estimated budget line for mental health in the country’s annual national health budget has been consistently abysmal (<3.5%).…”

Section: Nigeria’s Health System and Accessing Dementia Carementioning

confidence: 99%

“We Are Doing These Things So That People Will Not Laugh at Us”: Caregivers’ Attitudes About Dementia and Caregiving in Nigeria

2021

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Some Nigerians, in their effort to make sense of dementia symptoms, use descriptions that may stigmatize people with dementia and their families. This qualitative descriptive study focused on the everyday understanding of dementia and the impact of stigma on the caregiving experiences of informal female Nigerian dementia caregivers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 12 adult informal female caregivers in Nigeria and analyzed for themes. Afterward, results were presented to focus groups of 21 adult Nigerians residing in the United States for more contextual insight on the findings. The three major themes were misconceptions about dementia symptoms, caregiving protects against stigmatization, and stigma affects caregiving support. Overall, we argue that knowledge deficit, poor awareness, and traditional spiritual beliefs combine to drive dementia-related stigmatization in Nigeria. Strategies such as culturally appropriate dementia awareness campaigns and formal long-term care policies are urgently needed to help strengthen informal dementia caregiving in Nigeria.

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Section: Nigeria’s Health System and Accessing Dementia Carementioning

confidence: 99%

“We Are Doing These Things So That People Will Not Laugh at Us”: Caregivers’ Attitudes About Dementia and Caregiving in Nigeria

2021

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“…It is important to note that, mental health in SSA has been given less priority during this pandemic and received little attention from the governments. This finding is however, to be expected as mental health policies have generally not been priority in most SSA countries ( 27 , 28 ). For example, by 2020, the Nigerian Mental Health Services Delivery Policy had yet to be effected into law ( 28 ); In Zimbabwe, the policy had been last reviewed in 1996 ( 27 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…This finding is however, to be expected as mental health policies have generally not been priority in most SSA countries (27,28). For example, by 2020, the Nigerian Mental Health Services Delivery Policy had yet to be effected into law (28); In Zimbabwe, the policy had been last reviewed in 1996 (27). The focus, therefore, is more on prevention of COVID-19 infection and physical symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support During COVID-19: A Review of Health Guidelines in Sub-Saharan Africa

et al. 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic brought in its wake an unforeseen mental health crisis. The World Health Organization published a guideline as a way of supporting mental health and psychosocial well-being of different groups during this pandemic. The impact of the pandemic has pushed governments to put measures in place to curb not only the physical health of individuals but their mental health and psychosocial well-being as well. The aim of our paper was to review mental health guidelines of some Sub Saharan African (SSA) countries: (i) to assess their appropriateness for the immediate mental health needs at this time, (ii) to form as a basis for ongoing reflection as the current pandemic evolves. Guidelines were retrieved openly from internet search and some were requested from mental health practitioners in various SSA countries. The authors designed a semi structured questionnaire, as a self-interview guide to gain insight on the experience of COVID-19 from experts in the mental health sector in the various countries. While we used a document analysis approach to analyze the data, we made use of the Mental Health Preparedness and Action Framework to discuss our findings. We received health or mental health guidelines from 10 SSA countries. Cameroon, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda all had mental health guidelines or mental health component in their health guidelines. Our experts highlight that the mental health needs of the people are of concern during this pandemic but have not been given priority. They go further to suggest that the mental health needs are slightly different during this time and requiring a different approach especially considering the measures taken to curb the spread of disease. We conclude that despite the provision of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support guidelines, gaps still exist making them inadequate to meet the mental health needs of their communities.

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“…Although mental health in Nigeria largely reflects a national history of neglect, both on a governmental and an academic level (Mental Health Leadership and Advocacy Programme 2012; Ugochukwu et al. 2020; WHO 2006), in recent years, mental health has increasingly gained attention from scholars, NGOs, and the local population (Abdulmalik, Kola, and Gureje 2016; Gureje et al. 2015; Oduguwa, Adedokun, and Omigbodun 2017).…”

Section: Nigerian “Madness” and Communal Personhoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Struggling Along in Nigeria: Depression, Treatment, and Morality

Otto

Roekel

2022

Ethos

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In this article, we analyze the multiple ways of moral being with depression in urban Nigeria, including those of the ethnographer. This approach fits recent theorizing in moral anthropology and mental health that aims at uncovering how mental illness and ethical being come into being in between patients and meaningful others. We argue that the Nigerian experience of depression does not follow the Heideggerian model of moral breakdown and ethical performance but is rather a shared experience of struggling along without the ideal of a full recovery. By proposing a radical reconsideration of existing care models that are largely based on cure and correction, struggling along draws attention to the unfinishedness of depression. This is best described as a heightened everyday awareness that lingers in between reflective and unreflective modes of being that comprise both the physical and metaphysical worlds young Nigerians inhabit and allows for moral being with mental health struggles.

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The time is now: reforming Nigeria's outdated mental health laws

Cited by 25 publications

References 1 publication

“We Are Doing These Things So That People Will Not Laugh at Us”: Caregivers’ Attitudes About Dementia and Caregiving in Nigeria

“We Are Doing These Things So That People Will Not Laugh at Us”: Caregivers’ Attitudes About Dementia and Caregiving in Nigeria

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support During COVID-19: A Review of Health Guidelines in Sub-Saharan Africa

Struggling Along in Nigeria: Depression, Treatment, and Morality

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