Anxiety, depression take toll on 30% of Nigerians amid COVID-19

…experts suggest ways to ease burden

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on people’s mental stability across the globe as over 350 million people worldwide currentlysufferfromdepressionand other mental illnesses, according to experts. In Nigeria, about 25-30 percent ofcitizenssufferanxietyanddepression, and there are predictions that the number of cases will spike. The growing cases of mental instability arise from the fear, panic, stress and anxiety that have trailed the pandemic which has forced governments across the world to shut down social and economic activities in major cities. “Approximately 25 to 30 percent of Nigerians suffer from one form of anxiety or depression in this period of COVID-19. Considering multiple sources of information available, where many are conduit of fake news, anxiety can easily be reinforced,” said Muideen Owolabi Bakare, chief consultant psychiatrist/head, child and adolescent unit, Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Enugu. The need to curb the spread of the virus led the Federal Government to impose a lockdown on Lagos, Abuja and Ogun State, and various state governors followed up with various levels of restrictions in their states. Apart from consistent inflow of news (both fake and real) and the lockdown, fear of the unknown, increasing numbers of COVID-19 positive cases and deaths, social distancing, lack or loss of jobs, rising insecurityandhungerhavecontributed to the increasing rate of anxiety and depression. said Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri, psychiatrist/psychotherapist and MD, Pinnacle Medical Services, said lockdown fatigue, distorted sleep patterns, fear of the unknown, anxiety about the future, depression and suicidal thoughts top complaints by her patients in this time of COVID-19, while Steve Harris, management consultant and chief executive officer, Edgeecution, said most of the people he is coaching in this season are concerned about howlongthelockdownisgoingtobe and when they can return to work. “I have been telling them to use this lockdown as an opportunity to be more introspection and ask, ‘How can I come out of this better?’, ‘How can I keep the customers’ attention even if they’re not buying as they usually would?’,‘how can I add more value to them and make sure I build a stronger emotional connection with them?’,” Harris said. “Just breathe. Be grateful. It could be a lot worse. You’re alive and hopefully haven’t been affected physically by this virus. We might never get this much free time ever again. Now is the time to love on yourself, accomplish some goals, bond with your family and loved ones and more importantly, create some beautiful memories with those around you,” he said.