By Nasir Shuaibu, Bauchi
A psychiatrist, Dr Musa Dahiru, has raised concern over the prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents in Bauchi State, saying one in every four adolescents is affected by one mental health issue or another.
Dahiru made the disclosure while presenting a paper on the prevalence and burden of mental health-related issues in the state at a roundtable meeting on strengthening mental healthcare services Thursday in Bauchi.
The meeting was organised by the Better Life Restoration Initiative (BERI) in partnership with Youth Adolescent Health Initiatives and Counseling (YAHIC), under the ASPIRE project implemented by Plan International Nigeria and funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The roundtable brought together Bauchi health policymakers, officials of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), particularly the Department of Psychiatry, and other stakeholders.
The participants agreed on measures to improve mental healthcare delivery, including collaboration between the Hospital Management Board and ATBUTH to train health workers on mental health service delivery.
They also agreed to select five secondary healthcare facilities to pilot the mental healthcare programme in the state.
However, stakeholders lamented the absence of a formal mental health referral pathway, which they said had affected the coordination of services and referrals between healthcare facilities.
An assessment report presented by YAHIC on mental health services at Bayara General Hospital and ATBUTH showed that the referral process was informal and haphazard.
The stakeholders consequently called for stronger coordination among healthcare institutions and increased government investment to ensure that people experiencing mental health challenges, especially adolescents, can access appropriate services without unnecessary delays.
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