A Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Shehu Sale, has advised Nigerians to consider rising suicide cases as a global concern caused by lifestyle challenges rather than restricting it to mental health disorders.
Sale, who is the Medical Director of Federal Neuro Psychatric Hospital Kware in Sokoto state, emphasized the need for a holistic approach to address causes of suicide in Nigeria.
He made the call on Monday at sensitization lecture in commemoration of 2019 World Mental Health Day celebration tagged “Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention as a Global Challenges” organized by the hospital.
He said that the increasing rate of suicides should be a source of concern for stakeholders including governments, families, policy-makers and organisations to look at the causative factors of suicide with a view to addressing them.
Dr Sale who is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and a certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with both subspecialty qualification (post fellowship) in Child and Adolescent psychiatry from the College of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA) emphasised the need for more collaborations.
A holder of an M.Phil degree in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from the University of Cape Town, South Africa noted that suicide was more common among adolescents and young adults between 15 and 29 years age group.
This he said has been attributed to emotional and socioeconomic problems including substance abuse and globalization.
” Suicide should not be viewed as only mental health problem because the menace is becoming a global concern.
”World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that about 800,000 people die annually from suicide worldwide.
” WHO indicated that over 78 per cent of suicide occurred in low and medium income countries in 2015, and that 1.4 per cent of all deaths worldwide is attributed to suicide.
He noted that,”Nigeria is ranked high among suicide-prone nations in the world”.
He identified depression, emotional trauma, economic challenges, neglect, financial imbalance, joblessness, among others, as some possible causes of suicide.
According to him, peer group rejection, low self exteem, academic and relationship failure, family discords can lead to suicide among young people.
” The rate of suicide incidence in Nigeria today is no doubt alarming and very disturbing which deserves more attention,” Sale added.
Sale, a Master Trainer with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and focal person for training as well as an International Certified Addiction Professional (ICAP) stated that recent studies in Nigeria have shown a rising and disturbing trend in alcohol and substance use among adolescents and young adults.
This portends a challenging and difficult future for these individuals in terms of their health and for us as a nation if the situation is not adequately addressed.
He also described mental health education as a tool to curb the rising tides of suicide in Nigeria.
The Medical Director enjoined parents, teachers and guardians to train their teenagers on emotional management skills.
He advised people to always try to live simple lifestyles and equip themselves with strategies for coping with challenging situations that pose threat to their mental wellbeing.
” The government has its crucial role to play in collaboration with community groups in the society including individuals with the sole responsibility of working together to prevent suicide” Sale added.
He urged Nigerians to always embrace whatever they are going through as a challenge that could be tackled without resorting to negative alternatives. (NAN)
