{"id":924745,"date":"2026-04-28T19:49:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T19:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/924745\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T19:49:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T19:49:40","slug":"south-west-particularly-lagos-records-highest-mental-health-distress-cases-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/924745\/","title":{"rendered":"South-west, particularly Lagos, records highest mental health distress cases \u2014 Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

A 10-year impact report by She Writes Woman (SWW) has identified the South-west, particularly Lagos State, as the region with the highest number of reported mental health distress cases in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

The report, unveiled on Sunday in Abuja and obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, analysed over 25,000 real-time distress calls received through the organisation\u2019s nationwide toll-free helpline.<\/p>\n

It found that nearly 50 per cent of callers were from the South-west, with Lagos accounting for the largest share.<\/p>\n

The report also revealed that 55 per cent of callers experienced suicidal ideation, while one in five reported a combination of suicidal thoughts and depression, highlighting a high prevalence of severe psychological distress.<\/p>\n

More details<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the findings, the high figures recorded in Lagos<\/a><\/strong> may reflect both greater awareness and better access to support services, as well as the pressures associated with urban living.<\/p>\n

\"PT<\/a><\/p>\n

In contrast, the North-east recorded fewer than 100 calls.<\/p>\n

The report attributed this not to lower need, but to systemic barriers such as stigma, weak infrastructure and limited awareness.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, 24 per cent of abuse-related calls originated from the South-south, indicating patterns of gender-based vulnerability in the region.<\/p>\n

In the North-central zone, 50 per cent of callers reported suicidal ideation, while 31 per cent experienced depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n

The report further highlighted delayed help-seeking behaviour among men, pointing to persistent social and cultural barriers to accessing mental health support.<\/p>\n

Young people most affected<\/strong><\/p>\n

The report showed that more than 80 per cent of callers were aged between 18 and 30, placing young Nigerians at the centre of the mental health crisis.<\/p>\n

The report linked spikes in distress to wider economic and socio-political shocks, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests, when the helpline recorded over 3,000 contacts within a short period.<\/p>\n

Despite the scale of demand, the report noted that access to care remained limited.<\/p>\n

It added that mental health consultations in Nigeria typically cost between N5,000 and N60,000, putting them beyond the reach of many.<\/p>\n

It also found that four in seven suicide-related interventions involved men at high-risk stages.<\/p>\n

Real-time evidence<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking on the report, SWW Executive Director Hauwa Ojeifo described it as one of the most comprehensive and dynamic non-academic datasets on mental health first response in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

Ms Ojeifo added that many callers expressed their distress through words such as isolation, exhaustion, overwhelm and hopelessness.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years, we have imported data, relied on anecdotes, and assumed what mental health in Nigeria looks like. This report changes that. It presents real-time evidence of how Nigerians experience distress, and how systems are failing them,\u201dshe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile women tend to seek support earlier, men often reach out when harm is imminent. These are not abstract terms; they reflect lived realities shaped by economic instability, social pressure, and systemic neglect\u201d, said the sexual violence and mental health activist.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:\u00a0Stigma, economic pressure fuel silent mental health struggles among young Africans \u2014 Expert<\/a><\/strong>
\nInitiative<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ms Ojeifo said SWW was founded in 2016 following her personal experience with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to ensure that people living with mental health conditions are actively involved in shaping policies that affect them.<\/p>\n

She noted that the organisation has grown from a grassroots initiative into a prominent voice in Nigeria\u2019s mental health advocacy space.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe system is not broken. It works exactly as it was designed, but unfortunately, it excludes people with mental health conditions from care, dignity and decision-making. Hope alone is not protection. Without systems, people will continue to fall through the cracks,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

She urged the government to take more decisive steps, including increased funding, stronger infrastructure, and the integration of mental health into broader public health and social protection systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A 10-year impact report by She Writes Woman (SWW) has identified the South-west, particularly Lagos State, as the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":924746,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4317],"tags":[259076,22563,14785,60700,105,13702,218,12,3007,2578,223,16,15],"class_list":["post-924745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-endsars-protests","tag-abuja","tag-covid-19-pandemic","tag-distress","tag-health","tag-lagos","tag-mental-health","tag-news","tag-nigeria","tag-premium-times","tag-ptsd","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116484070919655216","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=924745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/924745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/924746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=924745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=924745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=924745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}