MANY MORE NIGERIANS MAY DIE OF SUICIDE – FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH

November 15, 2018

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The Federal Ministry of Health has said that about 30 per cent of Nigerians suffer from diverse mental illnesses.
Abdulaziz Abdullahi, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said this at the Mental Health Action Committee and Stakeholders’ Workshop in Abuja on Monday.
Abdullahi said with a population of about 200 million, Nigeria had a high rate of mental illness. This implies that Nigeria has about 60 million persons with mental illnesses.
He said, “There are many different mental disorders, with different presentations. They are generally characterised by a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others.
“Mental disorders include: Depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders including autism.
“In Nigeria, an estimated 20 to 30 per cent of our populations are believed to suffer from mental disorders. This is a very significant number considering Nigeria has an estimated population of over 200 million.