MENTAL ILLNESS IS NOT A SPIRITUAL PROBLEM - LAUTECH REGISTRAR

-Damilola Oloyede

The Senior Registrar, Department of Psychiatry, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Doctor Majek Akande, has said that mental illness is not a spiritual problem, but rather a multifactorial problem.

He made this known while the members of Sustainable Development Goals CDS group  paid a visit to the psychiatric department of the Teaching Hospital.

Speaking on mental illness,  Doctor Akande noted that  there are several forms of mental illness  ranging from mood disorder to eating disorder, and they require different approaches.

He added that no one is immune to mental illness and it is therefore pertinent to talk about mental illness because the mind needs as much care as the body or even more.

The senior registrar stated that the living standard of those with mental illness can be improved by advocating for them.

Doctor Akande further emphasized that the welfare of people with mental illness is not only the responsibility of doctors or those involved, but their loved ones, so as to reduce the stigma and discrimination in the society.

Also, the Acting Head of the Psychiatric Department, Dr Adebayo Kazim, stressed that people's perception about mental health patient being aggressive is wrong.

He said "we, the doctors are the ones who are actually aggressive to those who have mental illness, we stigmatize them".

Chief consultant of the Department, Doctor Kazim, appreciated the visit by Corps members, while also stressing that mental health has to do with social interactions and how people deal with experiences in life.

Interacting with one of the patients, the CDS president, Miss Rashidat Iganyi, noted that mental illness is treatable.