60 MILLION NIGERIANS SUFFER FROM MENTAL ILLNESSES - PSYCHIATRIST

Prof. Taiwo Obindo, President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), has revealed that more than 60 million Nigerians suffer from mental illnesses.

This was revealed by Obindo in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

"Mental healthcare is in a sorry state, given that there are over 60 million Nigerians suffering from various mental illnesses, and only about 10% of them have access to appropriate care."

"We have more than 90% of people who are unable to access care, and this group is known as the treatment gap for mental illnesses."

According to Obindo, the gap exists because people lack adequate information about the causes and treatment of mental illnesses.

Myths and traditional beliefs, as well as a lack of mental health facilities and mental health professionals, he explained, are some of the factors impeding the management of mental illness in Nigeria.

He also stated that approximately 60% of Nigerians living in rural areas lack access to appropriate care and must travel long distances to access facilities.

According to Obindo, the number of mental health practitioners in Nigeria is low, falling below the World Health Organization's recommended ratio.