A mental health expert at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr Aishatu Yusha’u Armaya’u, has revealed that only two per cent of people with psychiatric problems use orthodox mental health services in Nigeria.
Dr Armaya’u spoke at a zoom roundtable organised by Charis Healthcare and Community Support Initiative (Jos) funded by Rosa Luxemberg Stiftung. It had 57 participants from Nigeria and other countries, including Ghana, South Africa, Malasia and Dubai.
She advised people to stop patronising traditional or spiritual healers for treatment of mental distress and disorders, saying there were effective medical treatments for mental health disorders.
She further said public health facilities, local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and private hospitals were all in involved in the provision of specialised care to those that required psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in emergency and non-emergency situations in the country.
Dr Armaya’u, therefore, advised the public to harness the opportunities in these facilities.
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