Mental health needs
>> Studies in Nigeria have found prevalence rates of around 20-28% for diagnosable psychiatric conditions in the general population. This means that there are at least 25 million people who would benefit from mental health services in Nigeria
>> It is calculated that the cost to the Nigerian economy of untreated mental illness runs into billions of naira every year
>> Mental illness can be very effectively treated, but lack of public awareness about the benefits of treatment means that many people do not seek the services that are available
>> Stigma remains a serious problem, with many cases of human rights violations like chaining or beating experienced by people with mental illness. Perpetrators are rarely brought to justice
Services
>> Recent studies found that only around 10% of those with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia received treatment
>> Annual expenditure on health in Nigeria is less than 3% of Gross Domestic Product, amounting to $7 per capita. Mental health services receive only a very small part of this total health budget.
>> The majority of the expense of care is paid by patients and families. This is usually difficult as mental illness can last for many years
>> There are only 4 psychiatric hospital beds per 100,000 people in Nigeria. Very few of these are accessible outside of major cities
>> Even though the Federal and University hospitals see many patients, the majority of the population in the rural areas cannot access the care they offer
>> For most patients and families, the first point of call is the traditional healer or prayer house. In many cases, owners of these facilities are not aware of which cases they should refer on
Personnel
>> There is around 1 psychiatric nurse for 25,000 people in Nigeria. Many of these are not working in mental health due to lack of facilities. The lack of staff is particularly acute in the North of the country
>> There are around 130 working psychiatrists in the whole of Nigeria. Almost all of these psychiatrists are based in one of the country's large specialist hospitals in major cities
>> There are more psychiatry trainees than ever before (over 100 in the country). The challenge now is for there to be posts available for them to fill on qualification
>> There are many professionals who find that the rewards of working abroad are more than being in Nigeria, so a high proportion of those trained are lost to the braindrain, particularly among nurses.