Clamour For Mental Health Bill By NASS Over Suicide Option

By Akinwale Kasali

Days ago, the Media was awash with the death of Kenneth Nnabuchi, an undergraduate student of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, Uli, Anambra State, who  committed suicide.

The 100-Level Student of Psychology was said to have taken his own life at the Kosi lodge of the institution by setting himself ablaze at the back of the hostel building.

Investigations revealed that prior to the incident, the deceased had, allegedly, told his cousin that he wanted to give up the ghost the previous day due to stress, and was said to have borrowed N200 from the said cousin that day to purchase petrol used in setting himself ablaze.

He was rushed to Ihiala General Hospital but was rejected due to the degree of burns. He died at another  hospital in Nnewi.

Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, Ebonyi State, was also in the news recently, as its Higher National Diploma student, Olivia James, committed suicide. Reason for this dastardly act was because her boyfriend broke up with her.

The late Olivia celebrated her birthday a week earlier, on Wednesday, October 6 2021, had a misunderstanding with her boyfriend identified as Henry, and went ahead to consume a poisonous substance.

She was said to have been found unconscious in her apartment during the weekend by her friends who rushed her to the hospital. She was confirmed dead on arrival.

Godswill Chinecherem Okoro, the Students Union Government’s Director of Information and Publicity confirmed the demise of Olivia, saying: “She ended her life after her boyfriend ended their relationship. During the course of their misunderstanding, Henry stopped taking her calls; rather an unknown female was the one answering the calls.

“Unable to live with the realisation that the man she spent all her savings on was likely cheating and acting uninterested in their relationship, Olivia took the move of ending her life.

“She left a Whatsapp message for one of her friends about taking her life”.

Also, 21-year old Christabell Omoremime Buoro, a 300-level student of the department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Benin, UNIBEN, was said to have committed suicide. Her lifeless body was discovered in her hostel at Plot 4 Uwaifo lane, Newton street, Ekosodin area, behind the university fence.

The late Christabell was said to have allegedly taken some deadly substance to end her life. It was gathered that the undergraduate linked her suicide to her breakup with her boyfriend.

In taking her life,  Christabell was said to have mixed the deadly insecticide, popularly called Sniper with Sprite and reportedly left a suicide note where she stated that she was about taking her life because the guy she loved didn’t love her in return.

Kenneth, Olivia and Christabell are just few out of numerous youths who have taken suicide as an option when they are emotionally, mentally and psychologically stressed, thus making suicide a new fad among youths, most undergraduate students.

According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in people aged 15 to 19 years (male and female). More than 700,000 people die due to suicide every year, and 77 per cent of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria.

The methods of committing this suicide are; Ingestion of pesticide, hanging and firearms.

The increase in suicide in Nigeria has over the years escalated, which is being attributed to serious public health problem; that is believed to be preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions.

The Mental Health Bill which is saddled with the protection of right of persons with mental disorders, ensure equal access to treatment and care, discourages stigmatization and discrimination and set standards for psychiatric practice in Nigeria

was first presented to the National Assembly of Nigeria in 2003 but was withdrawn in 2009 after no considerable progress. The bill was reintroduced again in 2013 but yet to be enacted.

In 2003, a bill for the establishment of Mental Health Act was introduced by Sen. Ibiabuye Martyns-Yellowe and Sen. Dalhatu Tafida but was later withdrawn in April 2009.

Four years down the line, on March 20, 2013, the bill was re-introduced to the National Assembly by Hon. Samuel Babatunde Adejare and Hon. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola but yet again was brushed aside.

The bill makes provisions for access to mental healthcare and services, Voluntary and involuntary treatment, Accreditation of professional and facilities, Law enforcements and other judicial issues for people with mental illness, Mechanisms to oversee involuntary admission and mechanism to implement the provision of Mental health Legislations.

Over 13 years since the bill was introduced to the National Assembly, it is yet to be passed into law.

In an interview with Daily Trust Newspaper, Dr Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, a Consultant Psychiatrist at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, addressing the issue of increase in suicide among youths in Nigeria, said it is worrisome that youth suicide is on the rise both locally and internationally, but especially for a country like Nigeria that has  a relatively youthful population, that make up a sizeable number and are the major productive age group is quite disturbing.

“To lose them to suicide has grave consequences for economic growth, and this is due to lack of effective national suicide prevention strategies and non-passage of the mental health bill”.

Sheikh added that a comprehensive suicide prevention policy is a whole document that includes measures such as addressing social, psychological, mental health and infrastructural determinants which involve improvement in mental healthcare services.

Others, he said, are changing of laws, making psychological counselling accessible to those at risk, especially youths, and making suicide methods unavailable or difficult like improving the design of our bridges, roads and rail lines.

He also included restricting access to chemical agents used to commit suicide and firearms, changing the ways the media report suicide and making it not only patients’ friendly but use reporting of suicide to educate the public, among others.

The psychiatrist noted that the passage of the mental health bill on its part, will promote mental well-being, prevent mental illness and guarantee universal access to effective, affordable and culturally acceptable mental health care services for the country.