Majek Fashek: Some mentally unstable persons are talented

Majek Fashek, reggae artiste, says mental health should not be a yardstick for assessing people.

Speaking on Wednesday at the 46th annual general conference and scientific meeting of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) in Lagos, the musician there are many talented persons with mental challenge.

“There is need to create a system to manage or rehabilitate people who are not mentally balanced and as well create more awareness on mental health challenges and appropriate management,” he said.

“Government should look into how to rehabilitate mental health patients as most of them have great potentials and talents.”

Richard Adebayo, acting medical director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, said it is important to have mental health act as a guide in the country.

Adebayo added that mental health was integral to the stability of any nation.

“Most of the burning issues confronting us as a nation, such as insecurity, economic crisis, just to mention a few, have grave mental health concerns,” he said.

“The health impact is often unquantifiable; and we know there is no health without mental health.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a workable and realistic policy direction, no mental health act to guide us and protect the rights of our patients.

“It is critical to deliberate on vital issues that will promote the very change we desire and enlighten our policy makers that mental health is very crucial in our collective drive towards the positive change.

“To kick-start our security system, economy and general life as a nation, good mental health is very crucial.

“It will also help practitioners to guide their practice, help our people to be rehabilitated and not to be abandoned.”