A team of Medical Experts from the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano, AKTH, have said that one out of five individuals is vulnerable to mental illness.
The Team led by Dr. Muktar Gadanya of Department of Community Medicine, and Dr. Auwal Salihu of Department of Psychiatry, stated this during a Community Awareness Campaign Programme organised in collaboration with the Neuro-Psychiatry Hospital, Kware, Sokoto State, in Ringim on Sunday.
The medical experts explained that the sensitisation was designed for people in the North West geopolitical zone, pointing out that Jigawa is so far the sixth state benefiting from the campaign.
Gadanya said there were over 300 diagnosable mental illnesses; some mild, some, moderate while some were severe, adding that they were curable.
“Mild and moderate illnesses are about 80 percent while the severe ones are only 20 percent.
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“The signs and symptoms of the severe mental illnesses include hearing something that other people don’t hear, seeing something that other people don’t see, aggressiveness, restlessness, poor sleep, talking alone, laughing alone and so on.
“The mild and moderate ones are depression, anxiety, persistent doubtfulness, pains, sleep problems, sexual problem and forgetfulness, among others.”
On his part, Salihu said the causes of mental illnesses are multiple, which include genetics, environmental, infection, drugs, and stress.
Salihu said that the prevention against mental illnesses is promoting mental health hygiene, identification and treatment, rehabilitation and drug abuse prevention, and treatment of people with mental ailments.
NAN
