Estimated reading time: 17 minute(s)
Adetutu Sobowale
The Chaplain & HOD, Health Education and Drug Abuse Prevention (HEDAP) Department, Neuropsychiatric Hospital Aro, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Anthony Ogbebor has said Nigerian youth are more predisposed to mental health issues due to drug abuse, Bad economy, and insecurity in the society.
Ogbebor noted that the degradation in the standard of education and truncation of dreams also predispose youth to mental health issues.
Speaking exclusively with PLATFORM TIMES, the mental health expert noted that social challenges such as continuous Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, fuel scarcity, ritual killings, rape, and kidnapping have exposed youths to traumatic and depressive experiences.
“Presently, we have a high percentage of what we call High which is the common name in the Southwest and this is a very dangerous drug. Marijuana and Indian Hemp look so common but they cause mental illness a lot.
“The youth are still growing likewise in their brain, so these drugs and any little distortion by these drugs affect their mental health. The drug is one of the predisposing factors for the high rate of mental illness among the youth.
“Societal challenges such as continuous school strikes and fuel scarcity also stress a growing child. These are children with aspirations. Some of the youths that spoke with me are frustrated because some of their mates had left for abroad to study and within a year had their master’s degrees and those in the country do not know where they’re going or their fate due to the continuous ASSU strike. Some people will go through it scratched while some will cross to the other line and their mental health is being affected.”
He emphasized that the adaptation of youth to stress differs, saying, “the capacity of the youth to absorb stress is lower than the adults. Some of them also experience all manner of bullying here and there. Some of them have to fend for themselves. That is why you see some of them working when they are not supposed to work. The ladies are being raped. They are endangered species and they are not safe.
“Also the psychological trauma of watching their loved ones being slaughtered like animals every day in our society and nothing coming out of it. All these affect their mental health and that can lead to depression and Post Traumatic Stress disorder.
“Kidnapping, ritual killing, and brutality build the anxiety of any growing child and all of these things destroy the psyche of any growing child. It is a multifaceted thing.
“Society is not friendly to young people. If you compare what they read about other countries and their mates who are not as endowed as them, they receive so much because they have an enabling society but here it’s something else.
“Youth are highly active in e use of their nature and engage in fights that could lead to trauma to the brain. Most often they do not inform their parents about these things which could later in life affect their mental health depending on the area of the brain that was affected. This is why the percentage of youths with mental health issues is high.
“Unfulfilled goals in life are also predisposing factors for youths to mental issues. A lot of them have high visions and dreams but unfortunately, the system of the country does not favor their dreams due to economic meltdown, strikes, and all others.
“When they see the privileged ones amidst their peers who are not even as intelligent as they are being sent to schools abroad and they succeed then they come depressed. They start thinking about why their care is as it is.
“I was discussing recently with a colleague and he asked if it is an offense to be a young person in Nigeria. Police unnecessarily stop and extort them on the streets. So, unnecessary harassment from the police also affects their mental health.”
The expert explained that the youths are subjected to anxiety disorder, depression, stress, and Post Anxiety disorders as a result of the challenges they face daily.
He said, “anxiety disorder results from the predisposing factors because they have a feeling that they do not know what to expect or what they will meet on the road. They are already tensed up.
“They can also have sleeping disorders. Sitting down and thinking about the efforts they have put into their academics with no result to show off because of continuous strikes. They begin to get anxious and they can not sleep.
“Depression is also common among them. For instance, a boy the sister is raped will begin to wonder why his sister of all girls. The person raped may be able to handle it but he may feel guilty for not protecting his sister. With this, he can become depressed.”
Ogbebor who lamented over extortion and harassment of youths by law enforcement agencies noted that there should be massive enlightenment of the security agencies and the general public to eradicate the increasing mental health issues among the youths.
“To eradicate mental health issues among the youth, there is a need for massive public enlightenment. An organization like the National Orientation Agency has a lot to offer Nigeria but they are not doing it.
“The law enforcement agencies need to be enlightened that they are there to protect the people and not add to their problems. They should not use being in uniform to extort or oppress people. It has reached a point whereby when a youth I saw with a laptop, he is tagged to be a yahoo boy.
“Also, the people selling drugs and alcohol are to be enlightened. In the same society, someone under the age of 18 should not be allowed to buy certain things. So, a lot of education needs to be done on radio, television, and other social media platforms.
“The youths need to be motivated. Thank God for what the Ogun state did recently for Tobi Amusan. When the youths see a young person like them make a glorious achievement and recognised it, it will motivate others.
“The youths should be encouraged even if it’s a handshake from the governor or a commissioner and it comes out in the news. That will be in the person’s memory forever. These are things that will motivate and stop them from ruminating over negative things.
“If we can change the narrative and promote a culture that encourages you to thrive, their engagement in drug abuse will reduce.
“There should be avenues for them to express themselves. Let there be recreation centers, opportunities and empowerment, and rewards to make them fulfilled. Then they will be happy.” He said
Advising the youths, Ogbebor said, “my advice to the youths is that they should let anybody discourage them with what they say or do. Be focused and build yourself to survive in any kind of environment.”
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s)
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