No established Psychiatric Hospital in Delta, despite growing mental health issues -Investigation

Delta State has no established Psychiatric Hospital to take care of mental issues, despite the growing mental health challenges, 29 years after the state was created, investigation by Our Senior Correspondent, has revealed.

The Investigation, triggered by the celebration of this year’s World Mental Health Day, held Saturday October 10, further revealed that 60 percent of mentally deranged patients admitted at Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Uselu, neighbouring Edo State, are from Delta State.

It was discovered that despite being the richest oil producing state in Nigeria, Delta with a population reported to be over five million people, has less than five resident Psychiatric Health Personnel, to take care of those with mental illness.

The  World Health Organization, W.H.O statistics, revealed that one out of five persons, have one form of mental issue, adding that almost two billion people are down with one form of mental issue or related cases.

A Mental Health Expert, Amb. Theophilus Adjeketa, who spoke exclusively to This Newspaper on theme of this Year’s World Mental Health Day, which is, “Mental Health For All, Greater Investment-Greater Access", disclosed that the economic burden of mental health was alarming in Nigeria, adding that drug abuse leads to mental illness and imbalance.

Amb. Adjeketa, who's the Founder of Ogbotor Mental Health Foundation,  a Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, noted  that people between 18 to 29 years, are majorly the age bracket that suffer mental illness in Delta State and the country at large.

According to him, people used to rig elections, rapists and other criminal elements, are mentally imbalance, due to drug induced enhancer in their system.  

He advised the Delta State Government to establish Mental Health Hospital in the state, train more personnel in mental health, encourage medical journalism, provide testing facilities, massive enlightenment as well as subsidize mental health drugs.

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