By Amah
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As economic hardship persist, the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba (FNPHY), has expressed concerns over the rising rate of suicide, calling on the Federal Government to address and stabilise the nation’s economic situation.
The President of ARD, Dr Toba Babarinsa, made the call at a webinar of the 2025 Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the Association with the theme: “Breaking the Circle: Exploring the Relationship Between Suicide and Socioeconomic Hardship” in Lagos.
Babarinsa expressed concern over Nigeria’s growing rate of suicide, saying that the current socioeconomic hardship and challenges were the major contributing factors.
He listed the social factors to include high cost of living, kidnapping, financial problems, inflation, child abuse, rape, broken homes, traumatic experiences and degrees of violences among others.
According to him, such a trend ends up having adverse effects on the country’s mental health, as a lot of people have considered suicide, while many others are left with depression, anxiety, trauma and frustration.
He noted that prevention of suicide was more important now than ever before because statistics showed that suicide was responsible for 720,000 deaths annually.
Babarinsa said suicide was the third leading cause of death globally and the second leading cause of death in Africa, saying that it occurs more in low and middle income countries.
“The current economic hardship, coupled with the level of poverty and other social factors in the country might likely inflict mental illness on more Nigerians, leading to more increase in suicide rate.
“People who are predisposed to the social factors are more likely to develop mental health issues particularly this period the country is faced with lots of economic challenges.
“This underscored the need for the government to consider all possible policies to revamp the economy as well as ensure implementation of the National Mental Health Act; as it has all it takes ake to reduce mental health stigma, enhance access to care and ensure that people with mental health conditions are protected given due treatment,” he said.
Speaking, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Arit Esangbedo, reiterated that the country’s socioeconomic situation has resulted to an increase in the number of mental health cases, particularly suicide.
Esangbedo, also a Consultant Psychiatrist, Drug and Substance Abuse Unit, FNPHY, listed the key driving socioeconomic factors to include inflation, poverty and unemployment, saying that the factors had significantly increased suicide rate in Nigeria.
She said, “The devastating effects of inflation, poverty, insurgent attacks, insecurity and other social crisis across the country, has left several people in need of psychiatric evaluation.
“No doubt, the situation has resulted to an increase in the number of mental health cases.
“If you look at the degrees of social crisis and hardships and compare it with what goes on in other climes, you will discover that we have a greater predisposition to developing mental health conditions”.
On the possible interventions to salvage the situation, Esangbedo recommended community and social interventions, strengthening of the healthcare system and provision of attractive renumeration and incentives to retain the doctors.
According to her, there is also need for more advocacies on suicide and effective collaboration among the governments, Non-governmental Organisations and private sector.
Earlier, the Medical Director, FNHY, Dr Olugbenga Owoeye, applauded the Association for organising such an elaborate and educative session through its Ordinary General Meeting.
Owoeye, who described the theme of the programme as “apt and timely “considering the level of economic hardship in the country, assured commitment of the hospital toward upgrading it’s core values particularly in the area of mental health research, training and services.
