‘Drug abuse worsening youths’ mental problems’

Abuse drugs and other substances are causing rising mental health problems among Nigerian youths.

A Consultant Psychiatrist at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Dr Abubakar Baguda, said this yesterday at a lecture to mark the 2018 World Mental Health Day in Bauchi. of

He said eight out of every 10 psychiatric patients brought to psychiatric clinics are youths who have abused drugs.

He said a research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) had shown that half of all mental health cases start from ages 14 which mostly go undetected.

According to him, most youths nowadays spend hours on the internet and are exposed to crimes and drug and substance abuse by their peers.

He said prevention of mental health challenges starts from understanding early warning signs and symptoms.

He said rather that stigmatize drug addicts, communities should find ways of rehabilitating and reintegrating them back into the society.

Another speaker, Atebgese Simon, Dr said youths usually go into drug abuse as a result of peer group pressure for selfesteem.

He said drug abuse affects vital organs in the human body and has physical, social and mental effect on an individual.

He said that Bauchi was among the states with a high rate of codeine abuse translating into the large turnout of patients with mental problems.