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Mental illness rising among doctors, says expert

Published

9 years ago

July 8, 2017

By Ifeoma Nkem

A consultant neuro-psychiatrist, founder Pinnacle Medical Services, Nigeria, Dr Maymunah Kadiri, has challenged the general believe that only one percent of people on the streets are mentally disorder.

“What happens to the other 99 percent?” She asked her audience at the Ordinary General Meeting and Scientific Conference organised by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, during the week.

The event was themed “Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control in the Nigeria Health Sector.

It also had a sub-theme on Doctors’ Mental Health Challenges: A Practical Approach.

The consultant said a lot of Nigerians who are mentally unstable are walking around unchecked, and there is need for more advocacy on mental health awareness.

She advised doctors to be up and doing because majority of them work under pressure quite a number of them have issues with their relationship and families.

She urged her colleagues to seek help from other professionals around them in case they are treating family members, or even themselves, and emotions are getting in the way.

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According to her, some doctors have mental problems, but do not seek help. And, obviously, she noted, physicians cannot heal themselves.

In his welcome addressed, ARD’s President Badmus Adeola said the aim of the event was to create awareness on how cases of antibiotic resistant strains of pathogens are escalating.

Badmus said antibiotics drugs should not be given to patients if not signed by a trained physician because a lot people go to pharmacy stores to buy antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.

He also advised health workers to share whatever psychological problem they are passing through because it has become worrisome watching the rising cases of depression and suicide among health workers.