Approximately a month ago, the Finance Minister of Nigeria, Kemi Adeosun, informed the senate that the country is facing a technical recession.
Even before this announcement, it was widely known that a large percentage of Nigerians were struggling to make ends meet, experiencing significant challenges in meeting their financial requirements.
The economic situation in Nigeria has deteriorated significantly in recent times, evident in the rising inflation rates which have caused prices of goods and commodities to soar continuously.
Consequently, many Nigerians have been laid off from their jobs due to downsizing and retrenchments aimed at sustaining struggling companies, thus contributing to a surge in the country’s unemployment rate.
Dr. Otefe Edebi, a Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of Clinical Services at Synapse Services in Lagos, has highlighted the connection between the economic recession and the mental health of Nigerians.
Dr. Edebi explained that the recession has instilled fear and actual instances of job losses among individuals, while also reducing the purchasing power of many Nigerians.
“Threat and loss events have been established to be associated with anxiety and depression respectively. Periods of recession have also been associated with increase in alcohol and drug abuse in order to cope with the stress. Sometimes such periods have been associated with increased rates of suicide.”
Edebi noted that what Nigerians are experiencing today is actually an escalation of an already existing situation. “The reduction in purchasing capacity for many can lead to a feeling of hopelessness, helplessness and their antecedent psychological consequences.”
A psychiatrist emphasized that mental illnesses affect individuals regardless of gender, age, race, or social status. However, research indicates that unfavorable social, environmental, and economic circumstances increase vulnerability to mental disorders.
According to Dr. Boladale Mapayi, Senior Lecturer, Consultant Psychiatrist, and Clinical Psychologist at Obafemi Awolowo University/Teaching Hospitals Complex, “The current recession may lead to a surge in mental illnesses, instability, and suicide cases in Nigeria.
Dr. Mapayi warned that the nation is on the brink of a mental health crisis due to the economic downturn, highlighting the need for increased awareness and support.
“If there is an increase in stressors associated with mental disorders, then more vulnerable people will fall ill and more people living with mental illnesses will function less adequately. Unfortunately, we might not have evidence to document this increase because our record keeping system is inadequate,” she said.
Mapayi highlighted that unfortunately in Nigeria, the law still maintains within it attempted suicide as a crime that is punishable by imprisonment, hence, the abysmal record for suicide.
While linking cases of mental disorders to the current state of the economy, the psychiatrist noted, “There is a definite relationship between economic recession and people’s mental health and this finding is supported by global literature but the relationship is more indirect.”
“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), poverty is the leading factor associated with ill health (including mental health). Poverty goes hand in hand with unemployment/underemployment, harsh living conditions, hopelessness, increased stress levels which inadvertently leads some people to increased use of psychoactive substances as a maladaptive coping mechanism and an increase in violence. All these factors will lead to an increase in the prevalence of mental disorders, especially depression, suicidal behaviour and psychoactive substance abuse,” she elaborated.
Dr. Mapayi noted that despite the escalation of inflation and retrenchment, available statistics do not indicate a relative upsurge in mental illness cases in Nigeria. “As noted earlier, our record-keeping system is still very inadequate to capture any difference.
About 70 per cent of people living with mental illnesses in Nigeria do not receive evidence-based care because of the stigma associated with these disorders, also because of preconceived cultural and religious notions of the cause of mental disorders. So, getting a baseline assessment of the prevailing burden is difficult enough, and the difference by projection is much more so.”
However, Mapayi added that preliminary studies indicate suicidal behaviour is prevalent in Nigeria, especially among the young, and is likely to worsen given the prevailing situation.
To combat recession-induced mental illnesses, Dr. Edebi suggested that people become more aware of their personal stressors and learn to address them in healthier ways. “Nigerians should get better informed about emotional health and see a professional if the need arises.”
Dr. Mapayi advised individuals to restructure their lives with cognizance of the existing recession by cutting expenses, reducing unnecessary spending, but ensuring space and time for rest and leisure to avoid burnout.
“Stay away from psychoactive substances,” Mapayi warned. “Though they give temporary relief, they have more adverse effects.” She charged Nigerians to take care of their emotional health, “smile, ventilate, use your social networks, ask for help, but if all else fails, visit the nearest mental health professional.”
Mapayi asserted that society also has an integral role to play in supporting mental health.
“Social welfare and other policy measures to help people through the recession will help keep an optimal mental health; help people to retain jobs; support families that are struggling with debt relief; and communicate to people on efforts being made to reverse recession.
