BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
Mr. Wayne Bleier, a Consultant with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF ), has identified causes of the increasing incidences of suicide, especially among young persons and students of Universities and other higher institutions.
Bleier, a Mental Health and Psychological Support Services (MHPSS) Consultant with UNICEF, also stressed the need for more mental health and psychological support services experts across the country to help arrest the increase in the adverse mental health conditions.
Speaking during a 3 day Training of Trainers programme on Basic Mental Health and Psychological Support (MHPSS) in Sokoto State, Mr. Wayne said family history of children is among the determinants and indicators of the possibility of suicide.
He noted that adolescents and youths who lack family and social support, who experience low self esteem, trauma, sibling rivalry, step parents issues, emotional neglect, physical and sexual abuse and domestic violence, pregnancy, loss of friends, have tendency towards suicide.
These adverse childhood experiences, he stressed, also increase the chances of disrupted Neuro development which lead to suicides, insisting that there is urgent need for many more community based and specialized therapy MHPS Services experts across the country.
Pointing out that stable mental health is very crucial to humanity, Mr. Wayne noted that there are categories of mental health issues depending on the interplay of diverse factors and signs displayed, adding that the categories range from positive mental health to mild, time-limited distressed conditions to chronic and severely disabled conditions.
The Consultant gave the objectives of the training to include that it will empower professionals working with distressed children with the skills needed to successfully provide them the needed mental health and psychological support.
He further noted that the 30 participants at the training, including supervisors, case managers, teachers, health workers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as well as traditional and religious leaders, will better understand children’s reactions to distress by developmental stages and useful resiliency theory for treating those in distress.
Among the participants are officials of the UNICEF, Sokoto Field Office, Child Protection Specialist, Mr. Pius Uwamanua and the Child Protection Officer, Mr. Chibuzor Nwokorie.
