People living with mental disorder in Nigeria amidst COVID‐19: Challenges, implications, and recommendations

Abstract

COVID‐19 has become a global public health obstacle. This disease has caused negligence on mental health institutions, decreased trust in the healthcare system and traditional and religious beliefs, and has created a widespread stigma on people living with mental health illness, specifically in Nigeria. The increase of COVID‐19 cases that have exhausted the healthcare system in Nigeria have brought further negligence to people living with mental disorder, thus increasing the burden of the disease on these patients. Overall, this article considerably highlighted the need for equal accessibility to healthcare resources, as well as the requirement of proper attention and care for mental health patients in Nigeria. This article discusses the challenges that surfaced because of the COVID‐19 pandemic on people living with mental illness and their implications, as well as suggesting necessary actions and recommendations.

MHD: Mental Health Directory for Nigerian Schools

“…Recent occurrences, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, economic hardship, and increased out-of-school time for students due to strikes are taking a toll on the mental health of Nigerians. In fact, people are more depressed and some resort to suicide (Aborode et al, 2022). While there are efforts toward sensitisation of mental wellness from a few non-governmental agencies in Nigeria, traditional societal beliefs and stigmas hamper the efforts of these organisations as topics around mental wellness are considered taboo in many communities in Nigeria.…”

Analysis of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people's mental health

“…Situations that are not easy, especially in the midst of conditions full of uncertainty, give rise to feelings of anxiety, fear, depression, confusion, boredom, frustration, and stress 8 (Kabat-Zinn & Hanh, 2009). Mental conditions become more vulnerable to loneliness and mental health decline during the COVID-19 pandemic9 (Aborode et al, 2022). Loneliness is a crucial stressor, because it has a major impact on the physical and mental well-being of adolescents10 Loneliness causes feelings of unloved (Weinberg et al, 1995), helpless, worthless, dependent, and abandoned.…”

Outbreak of meningitis in Nigeria: a silent fight

“…Survivors can experience post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, while families that may have lost a loved one during the recurrent outbreak may be affected psychologically. The fear and anxiety caused by the disease can result in long-lasting effects on mental health leading to a decrease in overall well-being and quality of life [5] . Moreover, the recurring outbreaks of meningitis can also cause fear and panic among the population, leading to mistrust in the healthcare system and reluctance to seek care, vaccination, or participate in outbreak response measures.…”

“…Meningitis outbreak can also have both physical and mental impacts on the affected individuals and their families [5] . Survivors can experience post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, while families that may have lost a loved one during the recurrent outbreak may be affected psychologically.…”