A consultant psychiatrist, Dr George Niyi, has advised Nigerians to manage their emotions and finances properly to guard against mental illhealth caused by depression and economic hardship.
Niyi, staff at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH) Yaba, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
He decried the increasing rate of depression, attempted suicide, deliberate self-harm and other forms of mental illnesses in the country.
Niyi said that the aftermath of the global pandemic had led to an increased sense of anxiety among individuals, families and businesses.
“No doubt that there is economic hardship in the country and a lot of people are struggling to earn sustainable living wage.
“There is high cost of goods and services and high level of unemployment.
“Even in our wards now, we see a lot of people coming down with depressive illnesses – attempted suicide and deliberate self-harm.
“By the time we look at the primary causes of these illnesses, it is usually traced to financial or emotional challenges.
“Some people are psychologically affected, some socially affected and others emotionally affected.
“But some have the ability to overcome while others do not have such abilities, which lead to psychiatric illness,” he said.
The consultant said to overcome financial distress, it was important for an individual to always pay critical attention to emotional health.
According to him, it has a way of making people anxious and depressed over money.
“People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
“They are also able to cope with challenges and have the ability to keep problems in perspective while dealing with setbacks,” he said.
Niyi advised Nigerians to learn to plan with whatever they earn and avoid setting unrealistic goals, as it could lead to illicit acts and unhealthy mental health conditions.
He said there was the need for Nigerians to set their goals and targets according to their capabilities and financial resources in view of the nation’s economic situation.
“As individuals, we have to try and manage our emotions; make do with what we have.
“This means that I have to roll with the economic situation at any time in order not to allow my emotional and mental state to be affected by it.
“We don’t want more people breaking down with psychiatric illnesses because of financial or emotional challenges,” he added.
