Adamu told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that mental health awareness would help the society work toward eliminating its stigmas and improving the lives of the citizens.
She listed the signs of poor mental health to include: mood swings, isolation, not feeling good enough, depression, and poor eating habits, urging those depressed to seek professional help.
According to her, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations have huge roles to play in advocating for mental health awareness in the country.
“It is important for us to always create awareness, as this can never be enough and this is the only way people can understand the signs and how to manage others.
“With this, people can understand their social skills, emotional balance, and intelligence.
“People can understand lots of things. Until we talk about this thing called mental health, it will be difficult to come to terms with the signs and symptoms.
“So awareness is very important, and I want to call on NGOs, CSOs, and government to help us by talking about this mental health so that everybody can be happy rather than feeling stigmatized,’’ she said.
The mental health expert also called on Nigerians to practice self-care and work-life balance, as many were currently battling work-related stress and anxiety.
According to her, stress can lead to cardiovascular diseases and death, stressing that creating time to replenish oneself is very crucial.
NAN quotes WHO and International Labour Organisation, in a new release, as calling for concrete actions to address mental health concerns among the working population.
The two UN bodies said that an estimated 12 billion workdays were lost annually due to depression and anxiety, costing the global economy nearly 1 trillion dollars.
(NAN)
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