Abuja, 13 October, 2022 - As of November 2019, Chidinma Ebele, 22 years old (not his real name), was on top of his game, starting a new job as a research assistant at a non-governmental organization in Abuja. 
 
He had plans outlined for 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and things went downhill for him.  At the beginning of the pandemic, he had no cause to be alarmed but as the pandemic dragged on coupled with the lockdowns, the situation became daunting. 

“I was suffocating, lonely, and felt constrained, I was far away from my family and did not have many friends to interact with. To worsen it,  the news was constantly depressing. It felt as if the world was ending and I had dreams which were becoming impossible to achieve. I became depressed and began having suicidal thoughts”. 
 
Mr Ebele reached out to his office for help and the support offered helped him pull through the dark days. His office has put in a place, a staff mental health welfare programme before the pandemic. 

“It was as if they had envisaged such a situation and someone was checking in on the staff periodically during the lockdown and peak of the outbreak. The Staff Mental Health Welfare Officer referred me to speak with a psychologist when she noticed my mood was down. It made it easier for me to seek help,” he said. 
 
For 32 years old Halima Adetona, her suicidal thought began as a result of her abusive marriage. 
She lost interest in everything around her and started believing she was useless and needed to end her life. 

“I was in an abusive marriage for eight years were for the large part, I felt lonely and thought I was a failure. I dropped out of school to marry at age 21 and have three children. I also don’t work so I don’t have money for myself. The verbal and physical abuse from my spouse was also not helping. All expectations were supposedly dashed, and I started thinking death could be the answer,” she said. 

Ms Adetona, however, got an early respite through her mother, who suspected she was depressed and referred her to health experts who could help her.  
 
“My mother is a social worker and was able to observe that something was wrong. I was withdrawn, beat the children unnecessary and did not want to associate with people. I am an extrovert, but I suddenly lost interest in things that made me happy. All I wanted was to be left alone. Since I sought help three years ago, I am getting better and picked up my life”, she said. 
 
Suicide is the act of intentionally taking your own life and the action has a profound impact. Every case of suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and it has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 703,000 people take their life around the world annually. Furthermore, for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts, and many more have serious thoughts of suicide.

Consequently, October 10 every year has been set aside by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) alongside WHO to raise awareness change the narrative around mental health, counter misconceptions and stigma, and raise awareness among organizations, the government, and the public to support those experiencing mental health issues. 

This year’s theme is ‘Make mental health for all a global priority”.

Buttressing the theme, a stress counsellor working with the United Nations Clinic in Abuja, Micheal Onotu said suicide is preventable, but everyone needs to have information about the symptoms.  

He said anybody irrespective of class, status or age is susceptible to mental health issues and everyone has to be observant to notice when someone seems to be struggling emotionally and should make it their business to check on them. 

Mr Onotu said a person having suicidal thoughts sees death as an escape route from pain, tragic life problems, heartbreak, illness, abuse, and unbearable life issues. However, suicide can be prevented with early intervention from families and friends who need to look, listen and link them to people who can help.  

“We need to understand the symptoms to know when someone needs help, encourage understanding about issues, reach out to people struggling, share our experiences, demonstrate care and compassion and get them to professionals who can provide the support they need. By so doing, we can all create hope,” he said.

In his statement, the WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo mentioned that suicide is preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions.

He congratulated Nigeria for the establishment of the National Mental Health Program and pledged WHO’s support to the program including the review and update of the 2013 National Mental Health Policy and the development of a National Suicide Prevention Policy.

“By raising awareness, reducing the stigma around mental health, and encouraging well-informed action, we can reduce instances of suicide in our country and inadvertently around the world. We can all play a role in supporting those experiencing a mental crisis or those bereaved by suicide whether as a member of society. We can all create hope through action and be the light,” he said.

Technical Contacts
Dr Kelias Msyamboza; Email:msyambozak [at] who.int (msyambozak[at]who[dot]int)
Dr Mary Dewan; Email: dewanm [at] who.int (dewanm[at]who[dot]int)