1 out of 5 individuals vulnerable to mental illness – Experts

A team of Medical Experts from the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano (AKTH) have said that one out of five individuals are vulnerable to mental illness.

The Team led by Dr Muktar Gadanya of Department of Community Medicine, and Dr Auwal Salihu of Department of Psychiatry, stated this during a Community Awareness Campaign Programme organised in collaboration with the Neuro-Psychiatry Hospital, Kware, Sokoto State, in Ringim on Sunday.

The medical experts explained that the sensitisation was designed  for people in the North West geopolitical zone, pointing out that Jigawa is so far the sixth state benefiting from campaign.

Gadanya said are over 300 diagnosable mental illnesses; some mild, some are moderate while some are severe, adding that they are curable.

“Mild and moderate illness are about 80 per cent while the severe ones are only 20 per cent,

“The signs and symptoms of the severe mental illnesses include hearing something that other people don’t hear, seeing something that other people don’t see, aggressiveness, restlessness, poor sleep, talking alone, laughing alone and so on.

“The mild and moderate are depression, anxiety, persistent doubtfulness, pains, sleep problems, sexual problem and forgetfulness, among others.”

On his part, Salihu said the causes of mental illnesses are multiple, which include genetics, environmental, infection, drugs and stress.

Salihu said that the prevention against mental illnesses is promoting mental health hygiene, identification and treatment, rehabilitation and drug abuse prevention, and treatment of people with mental ailments.

-NAN