HEALTH

  

MENTAL HEALTH: CAUSES, TYPES & SOLUTIONS



In Nigeria, we have become so stereotyped that immediately a person talks about mental health, ninety percent of people conclude that it’s all about madness; the picture of a chronic lunatic comes to their minds. 

The truth is, mental health isn’t something that is written on the forehead. A lot of people walk around and live their daily lives oblivious to the decline in their mental health. A person mustn’t begin to display signs of insanity or start exhibiting strange behaviors before their mental health declines.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a state of well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well and contribute to their community, so your mental health is important for you to live well and make good decisions.

According to the WHO, Mental health goes beyond mental disorders and it is experienced differently from one person to another.

Mental health disorders are conditions that affect the mood, thinking, and behavior of a person and they are caused by a lot of factors below:

  1. Lifestyle factors such as diet and activities
  2. Poor stress management
  3. Anxiety
  4. Childhood abuse/ trauma
  5. Discrimination and Racism
  6. Poverty
  7. Loneliness and many others.

There are five most common mental health disorders and they are;

Anxiety Disorder: This cause people to constantly experience distress and fear. Common anxiety disorders include: Panic disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Social Anxiety Disorder

 Mood Disorder:  caused by excessive mood swings, feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, excessive guilt, etc. Common disorders are: Major depression, Substance-induced mood disorder, Bipolar disorder, and Dysthymia.

Psychotic Disorder:  This is an inability to differentiate between what is real and what isn’t. Common disorders include: Brief Psychotic Disorder, Schizophrenia, Delusional disorder and others.

Dementia: It is caused by a decline in cognitive abilities and it causes a decline in daily life activities and independent function. It comes in different forms and they include: Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and others.

Eating Disorder: This condition leads to the development of unhealthy eating habits such as an obsession with food. Common disorders include: Anorexia nervosa, Rumination disorder, Binge Eating disorder etc.


We all need to be enlightened on how to take care of our mental health so that we don’t have to experience any of the disorders explained above. Our mental health is very important and cannot be overlooked because it helps us to make good, sensible and impactful decisions. It is our powerhouse so we can’t afford to let it break down. There are various ways we can take care of our mental health and they’re listed below;

  1. Value yourself
  2. Take care of your body
  3. Keep good people in your space
  4. Lend a helping hand to those around you
  5. Create your specific stress management strategy
  6. Shut out the noise in your mind and dwell on positive things
  7. Set achievable and realistic goals for yourself
  8. Avoid alcohol and harmful drugs
  9. Never feel ashamed to ask for help when you need it. Contact a Therapist or talk to a trusted person.

BABAWALE OLUWAFUMITO, 300L.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

UI Soil Resources Management Department Records Achievement

Image
  BY: Ademola Ifeoluwa  The Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Ibadan through the Department of Soil Resources Management, on the 29th of October, 2025, had an impressive milestone with the promotion of two of their lecturers from Doctorate  into the Professor rank.  Professor Eunice Thomas, is the first female Professor in the history of the department, since soil resources  management became a department. A move in history that has set a new era in the history of the department since its inception. She  is a lecturer at the Soil Chemistry Unit, whose rich knowledge and research work remain an inspiration among the students. Dr Julius Orimoloye of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning Unit has also been promoted to Professor. His promotion is a reward of his years of dedication, scholarly work, and benefitting the department and the university community. Congratulations to Professor Eunice Thomas and Professor Julius Orimoloye.
Read more

AGRONOMY: A department of Winners

Image
  Earlier today, 7th of November, 2025, Agronomy students experienced multiple wins in the Literary and Debating Organization for the Faculty of Agriculture, that is, the Vocal Knights Literary and Debating Society. The representatives of the department, Najimdeen Rabiu Ayomide (a 300-level Soil Resources Management Unit student) and Popoola Taiwo Abidat (a 200-level Soil Resources Management Unit student), emerged second position with 72.92% at Agri-Speak 3.0, organized by the Vocal Knights Literary and Debating Society. The Deputy Knight Commander of the Vocal Knights Literary and Debating Society, Kayode Grace from the Agronomy Department (a 500-level student of the Crop and Horticultural Sciences Unit), handed the position over to another person today. Popoola Taiwo Abidat will be the Deputy Knight Commander for the upcoming session. The position of Public Relations Officer for the upcoming session was also handed over to Najimdeen Rabiu Ayomide today. Congratulations to the wi...
Read more

AGRONOMY QUADRANGLE

Image
  ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! Planning to hold an event soon? Be it a meeting, hangout, picnic, or any other gathering, the AGRONOMY QUADRANGLE is the most suitable location for it.  The Agronomy Quadrangle is situated in the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan. It has the capacity to accommodate more than eighty people, with access to fresh breeze and a serene environment, shaded by lovely, aesthetically pleasing trees.  A public address system is also available to ensure effective communication among the audience during any event. To book the location for your upcoming event, contact: https://wa.me/234703703071 By: Oguntola Rasheedat Ojuolape 
Read more