By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The recent spate of killings among family members in Bauchi state has been ascribed to subtle mental health issues among individuals that is not known to the public.
The assertion was made by a consultant Psychiatrist with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, Dr Fawaz Babandi while reacting to the development.
Recall that within the last One week, three people have been gruesomely killed by their family members following minor domestic disputes.
The Consultant said that people with potentials to commit violence have previous history of physical attacks and noted that such individuals have a presence of mental illness and at times the availability of the weapon triggers their actions.
The Consultant Psychiatrist added that, “Symptoms to watch out for are when a person develops poor sleeping habits, feels internal body heat, lost of interest in interaction and prolonged headaches, that if not attended to, manifest in violence attacks.”
According to him, “There is no full health situation with mental health, which is why we want government to prioritize mental health by integrating it into all levels of health care”.
Fawaz Babandi also stated that mental health has been neglected by government which effects is the violence we witness in the society.
He stressed that, “Primary healthcare level is closest to the people but there are no mental health services there, the health workers themselves are not trained to identify and treat mental health issues which is a major challenge”.
He further said the Department at ATBUTH see a lot of patients with depression, schizophrenia, bi polar disorder and substance abuse.
The Consultant Psychiatrist individuals need to promote and maintain their mental well-being by seeking help when they notice any symptoms of poor sleep and voices in their head.
He stressed that, “The individual needs to seek help because most at times are signs are there but people will only realize when the person has committed an offense then they will recall some abnormal behaviors he exhibited”.
He also said that the families and communities must monitor members of their communities and assist those who need help especially the youths who are involved in substance abuse.
The consultant also spoke on the issue of stigmatization that push most persons with mental health issues to stay away.
He lamented that, “The society do stigmatized patients with mental health problems even we the Doctors are not left out which is why we want mental health services to be integrated so that people can visit the psychiatry unit without fear of stigma”.
To him, mental health is everyone’s business because it might affect anyone at anytime.