A decade of crisis intervention services in Nigeria has revealed a significant public health challenge, according to a new report from She Writes Woman (SWW).
The findings show that nearly 55% of individuals who contacted SWW’s national helpline reported experiencing suicidal thoughts when they reached out for assistance.
Hauwa Ojeifo, the founder of SWW and a prominent mental health advocate, presented the report. Ojeifo is notable for being the first individual with a mental health condition to address Nigeria's National Assembly.
This dataset, compiled from over 25,000 interactions spanning Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, offers a unique, real-time perspective on how mental health crises manifest outside conventional survey methods and clinical settings.
The data points to a pronounced effect on younger Nigerians, with more than 80% of all helpline callers falling within the 18 to 30 age bracket.
This trend was particularly noticeable during times of national stress. Following events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests, the helpline received over 3,000 crisis contacts in a brief period, highlighting the substantial influence of national events on collective psychological well- being.
“The data we present here today is perhaps the most dynamic in that it gives us reach and depth of evidence across geography, gender, age groups, and trends,” Ojeifo stated.
The report further examines the underlying causes of this distress, emphasizing the significant impact of economic and social pressures.
Discussing the connection between financial instability and mental health, Ojeifo remarked, “The number one thing we saw was financial instability. I struggle with that because it perpetuates the idea that when you have money, everything would be okay.
“People who are privileged also deal with severe mental health conditions. It is not just about the money, but what your social background predisposes you to and your ability to afford the care available. This is why it is important to us that care is not privileged and expensive, so that everyone can afford it.”
In addition to economic factors, Ojeifo highlighted systemic issues within Nigeria's mental health infrastructure, suggesting that the current lack of support is a consequence of the system's design.
“The system is never broken. The system works exactly the way it is designed to work. And unfortunately, it is designed to keep people with mental health conditions excluded from decision-making.”
Ojeifo also pointed to a deficit in governmental commitment to providing affordable mental healthcare, stating, “We have proven that mental health intervention can be delivered without the bloated infrastructural costs people assume. It is not expensive to provide first response care. It is about political will.”
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