Henry Okonkwo
In a bid to curb rise in cases of suicide, the federal and state governments have been urged to ensure a speedy passage of the bill to protect persons with mental health and substance abuse problems.
This call was made by a non-governmental group- Stop the Abuse Foundation (SAF) – during a sensitisation walk around Ikeja area of Lagos.
The bill entitled, “A Bill for an Act to Protect Persons with Mental Health Needs and Establishment of National Commission for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for Effective Management of Mental Health in Nigeria and for other Related Matters, 2019,” scaled the first reading last January. Sponsored by Senator Ahmadu Abubakar of Adamawa State, it seeks to provide direction for a coherent response to mental health and substance abuse victims. It also aims to protect their rights and freedom as well as ensure a better quality of life and better service delivery.
The bill further seeks to provide a framework for legalisation to take care of issues around mental health.
According to the executive director of the group, Mrs. Toyin Taiwo Ojo, the increase of mental illness especially among Nigerian youths is worrisome.
She called on the government to hasten effort at signing the bill to law when fully passed to stamp out the stigma associated with mental health patients.
She said: “I’m aware of the bill on mental health that has just passed first reading this January. And I’m aware the government is trying to overhaul the existing mental health bill because it is not adequate to cater for what we need present in the country because of our population growth. I believe the quick passage of that bill would go a long way in removing stigmatization and discrimination against mental health challenges. The truth is that mental health issues are real and if we don’t remove the stigma, people won’t be free to go access it even if it’s available.
“The rise in suicide among our youths is really shocking. That’s why we have matched out into the streets to create awareness and talk to people about clinical mental health situations like depression, and how to handle it.
“We’ve also given out contact numbers of expert clinical psychologist and psychiatrists they can all call to get help and access treatment. We need Nigerians to understand that mental illnesses are like someone having a headache or any ailment that needs the attention of an expert. Hence, Nigerians should feel free to come out and seek help.”