The Media Practitioners have a huge role to play in sensitizing the public about Mental Health issues in the society, according a Psychiatrist, Dr.Okwudili Obayi.
During his lectures on Mental Health in a One day Seminar for the Media Practitioners on the theme:Changing the narratives in Mental Health,the Role of the Media at the Conference Hall,Amaudo Rehabilitation Center Itumbauzo,Bende LGA
Dr.Okwudili Obayi described Mental disorder as successful performance of mental function in terms of how human beings thinks,feels and behave.
The Psychiatrist,Dr.Okwudili Obayi who represented the Key resource person,the MD Federal Neuro-Psychatric Hospital Enugu ,Professor Monday Igwe,said that mental disorder could happen to anyone when there’s abnormalities and the way people think in their behavior could lead to mental disorder .
While delivering lectures at the Seminar he maintained that Doctors,journalist,Priests are also not immune to mental disorder because they are human beings as well, adding that Journalists are known to have some mental illness common in them due to the ardours task that comes with their jobs .
“Some of those challenges comes with depression anxiety, sleep problem and post traumatic disorder” ,he said.
He further stressed the need for media practitioners to be in a good frame of mind in order to carry out their duties as he pointed out that Young Journalists are often affected by mental illness .
As Psychiatric disorder is poorly discussed in media Houses ,he Called on the media houses to incorporate mental health into their health programmes in order to create awerness on some of the factors leading to mental disorder in the society.
The Psychiatrist enjoined the media to help in changing the narrative of mental health issues in South East Nigeria in their reportage with the view of ensuring derogatory words are not used.
In his address,the Director Amaudo Integrated Community Health Foundation Itumbauzo,Very Revd Keneth Nwaubani said people who are homeless are exposed to all manners of abuses as Amaudo Itumbauzo is charged to addressing those ills by initiating a programme to create awerness on mental health issues in the society.
He also said that skill is used in healing to make the residents responsible in order to return home and earn living.
“We are concerned about those who are homeless that are mentally ill “.
“The aspects of skill is the occupational therapy used in healing”,he said .
“Livelihood and skill makes them responsible and contributes to the society”.
He added that the programme adds to Rehabitation as what the destitutes home provides in Itumbauzo is different from what is done in the hospital,while their core objectives of the Seminar is to change the perception of people about the destitutes home.
The Destitute Home in Itumbauzo has hosted over 5000 Nurses since it’s inception in 1989.
The capacity of the Destitutes home is for 64 residents who stays up to Six to One Year.
The home is being founded and supported through skill acquisition from the United Kingdom by group of those who have served in the Itumbauzo located at Bende LGA of Abia State.
The Journalists were meant to know that the Destitutes home adds value to the governance of the State by paying their income tax.
Itumbauzo Community is isolated by Abia State for years with poor road network making it impossible for them to get attention of important agencies and corporate bodies to tap into their potentials .
This is a major setback
The self help group are residents rehabilitated in order to be reintegrated into the society with basic skills in Hair Dressing,Barbing,Bead Making and Farming
Some of the Symptoms of mental disorder includes Hallucinations,Delusion ,Anxiety, depression,drug use,mood disorder internet addiction as newsmen learnt through the Seminar, while Genetic and environmental disorder were said to be causes of mental illness.
In his vote of thanks ,Chairman Dr Emma Ndukwe disclosed that the Seminar was the best of it’s kind as he called for support from government and corporate organizations.
