Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Current research conducted by medical experts has shown that 450 million people currently suffer from mental illness worldwide.
Giving details of the research during a lecture delivered at the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Dr. Lucky Onofa, said one in every four people has mental illness globally.
He said while over 300 million persons suffer depression and over 110 million battle with alcohol and drug abuse, about 20 percent of Nigerians suffer from mental disorders.
The don said mental illness could be observed when a person starts exhibiting certain behaviour, which later culminates in abnormalities, thereby affecting his or her thoughts, reasoning, emotions, behaviour and cognition.
Onofa, who is the head, Directorate of Community and Mental Health Services, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State, said increasing rate of mental illness portray serious danger to any nation.
In his lecture entitled: “Promoting mental health awareness for a productive life style,” Onofa expressed worry on the impacts of mental health on the people and the society.
He said mental illness, because of negative perception, usually has negative impacts on victims and those around them, adding that the victims were seen as strange and hard to understand.
Describing mental illness as a problem that affects all human beings, Onofa explained that the attention currently being given to it is due to the fact that it is becoming universal, common, increasing and a great burden on the society.