18m Nigerians suffer depression, say experts
By Onche Odeh,
Science
Reporter,
Lagos
Without knowing it,
an estimated 18 million Nigerians are suffering from depressive illnesses,
medical experts have said.
At a workshop on
stress management in Lagos the experts agreed that many people who suffer the
condition do not seek medical help because of the apparent ignorance of the
condition.
Associate Professor
and Consultant Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine,
Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Dr. Joseph Adeyemi,
citing statistics from a World Health Organisation (WHO), said more than 121
million people worldwide suffer from depressive illness. He explained that only
30 per cent seek treatment while less than 25 per cent have access to effective
treatments.
The WHO report he
cited also forecasted that by the year 2020, depression would be the second
largest cause of death and disability worldwide.
Adeyemi said
knowledge on the condition in Nigeria is not very clear, adding that the fact
that most ethnic settings in the country lack a distinct vocabulary for the
condition of depression is reflective of the lack of knowledge on it.
He said, depression
has been defined by psychiatrists as a feeling of persistent sadness for a
period of two weeks or more.
General Secretary
of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), Dr. R.A. Lawal, also said
depressive individuals are often in a perpetual state of sadness.
He said some of the
symptoms include depressed mood, undue irritability, loss of interest or
pleasure in all activities including job, family life, hobbies or sex, as well
as weight loss or gain.
Other symptoms he
said are sleep disturbance, feelings of agitation, lack of energy and tiredness
despite lack of activity.
Lawal also noted
that certain life events like bereavement, divorce, job loss, retirement,
pregnancy or even festivals like Christmas or Eid-El kabir have been linked to
depression illnesses.
“You can
become depressed as a result of certain changes in your life, like when you
find yourself in a new environment, in a new job or new relationship or
marriage. The death of a spouse, loss of job or financial problem could also
result in depression,” Lawal he said.
Records made
available by APN showed that an estimated 15 per cent of Nigerians are likely
to develop depression during their life-time.
The experts said
women are twice as likely to become depressed as men. The higher risks among them
have been linked partly to hormonal changes brought on by puberty,
menstruation, menopause and pregnancy.
The experts advised
that professionals should prescribe anti-depressants for established cases of
depressive illnesses.
Adeyemi recommended
four main groups of antidepressants, which he said work in different ways to
change the chemicals within the brain and nervous system. These are the
Tricyclics, The Tetracyclics (TCAs), the Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
and the Seratonin Selective Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
