More and more, spectacles of women down with conditions suspected to be mental disorder, are becoming a common sight in Lagos and environs. Just what could be responsible for this unsavoury development? Gboyega Alaka explores.
Joy, a mother of one, roams Ikeja axis of Lagos, in filthy clothes, her about two-year old son strapped to her back, begging for alms.
No-one knows her age, her family, relatives or the father of her handsome son, whom she has christened, Thoughful.
Joy is also very secretive such that the only information she has volunteered aside her name and her son’s name is the state she originated from – Rivers State.
She would also not have her photo taken, as she always moved her face once the camera is focused on her.
Notably, Joy would always opt to sit directly under the sun at her favourite spot opposite Nuel Ojei Holding office building in Ikeja, whereas there is enough shade provided by trees just a few meters away.
To the average layman, Joy ‘s condition might just be depression, especially, as she exhibits some level of sanity, though in a weird manner. For instance, she is so protective of her son that she never drops him. Also, she would not give him any food touched by another person, be it directly or in a pack. She would rather you gave her money and allow her buy whatever it is herself or you pay and have her take it directly from the seller. She also would never drop him, not for a second, to the extent that observers now fear the about two-year-old boy may not be able to walk when she eventually puts him down.
Call it the natural protection instinct of a mother taken too far, and you may just be right.
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According to observers, most of them traders under the nearby trees and LAWMA street sweepers who take a rest under the trees after their hard day’s work, Joy goes as far as using dettol antiseptic to rub her son’s genital before strapping him with diapers.
“I’d be surprised if that boy’s genital has not started decaying with the way she rubs it with that dettol,” one of the women said.
They are therefore calling on the relevant authorities, particularly the Lagos State Government, to move in and rescue mother and child. While they are particular about the boy, many of them insisted that Joy’s case may not be beyond redemption if quick intervention steps are taken.
Some even fear the boy could be snapped up by ritualists, while Joy could be preyed on sexually.
On the day of this reporter’s visit, Joy had a swollen hand, which one of the women pointed out, could be as a result of night marauders trying to take advantage of her. “That hand wasn’t swollen two days ago when I saw her,” she swore.
Joy’s case is one out of several women suffering different levels of mental illness, roaming Lagos streets.
More women on the streets
Around Ikotun market in Ikotun area of Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos, another spectacle awaits this reporter. No-one spoken to knows her name, family or where she came from, but she roam the busy market area nevertheless, not speaking with anybody, except when she’s begging for food or picking up remnants or whatever she could lay her hands on.
Unlike Joy, she has no baby burden and her major preoccupation has been picking trashes, more of which she wraps round her half naked body, and chewing whatever catches her fancy. When she’s not doing that, she is sitting quietly or lying in front of closed shops. Literally, she is unaware of her environment.
At nearby Ile-Iwe Bus-stop, Egbe, a worst spectacle currently plays out. A stark naked woman roams open streets unhindered in broad daylight! Though emaciated, filthy and almost devoid of that woman sexuality, still naked is naked and the spectacle is such that could be described as abhorrent.
A woman who sells snacks by the bus stop, wondered why nobody in government had deemed it fit to take her away from the street and save them and especially their children the ugly daily spectacle.
“Do you know she sometimes sits in the middle of the median, her legs wide open, rummaging through the trash? How does one live with such spectacle? These days, I actually send my kids home anytime she is within the vicinity. Can you please tell the appropriate authorities to come and take her away?
All over the city of Lagos, it is not uncommon to see women, and of course men, roaming the streets or seated in corners, with conditions clearly suspected to be of mental illnesses. A cursory look seems to point to the fact that more women fall into this category.
While many could be categorised as depression, some may actually be psychosis, And while there may not be an accurate data in this part of the world to corroborate this conclusion, one may as well back it up with a an article titled: Prevalence and factors associated with depression among medical students in Nigeria, published in the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal, Volume 28, No. 3 of July-September 2021 edition, which states that:
“Depression is a major public health problem with a prevalence of 4.4% in the global population, and 5.4% in the African region. It affects about 322 million people globally. Depression, like in other regions of the world is more common among females (5.9%) compared to males (4.9%) in African. The prevalence of depression in Nigeria is estimated at 3.1%.
The article states further down that: Depression is the leading cause of suicide, resulting in close to 800,000 deaths annually (WHO), which makes it a great cause for concern.
More women suffer mental disorder – reports
The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated in an article titled Depression, published on September 13 2021, in its Key Facts section, that ‘More women are affected by depression than men.”
This is corroborated in an article in Turnbridge.com, titled: Women and Mental Health: Which issues disproportionately affect women and why, where it states that “Both men and women can develop a mental health disorder, however, more women are affected than men. Additionally, women are more vulnerable to certain mental health disorders than men.”
It stated further that “an estimated 7 percent of women were affected by a serious mental illness in 2020, compared with 4 percent of men in the US.
The article additionally explained that the pandemic worsened mental health among women, to the extent that 25% women reported they were struggling with moderate to severe anxiety, compared to under 18 percent in men in the US.
If this could be the case in a developed country like the US, one might as well imagine what the situation would be like in African countries, suffering worse socio-economic/welfare conditions.
The report of a survey conducted by Africa Polling Institute and EpiAFRIC and published in Mental Health In Nigeria (January 2020), confirms the rise in cases of mental ill ness, when it stated that “An estimated 20%–30% of the Nigerian population are believed to suffer from mental disorders. This finding corroborates with the 2006 WHO-AIMS report that claims that about 20 million Nigerians suffer from mental illness, of which a good number of them go without professional assistance.”
Mental health/mental illness
According to the World Health Organisation, mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. Mental illness, therefore, is the opposite of what mental health is. When you are unable to function properly or cope with the normal stresses of life, then you are mentally ill.”
Why more women suffer mental disorder
The reasons for this high figure, the EpiAFRIC report claimed, have been attributed to economic hardship, negative environmental extremities, and the rising cost of decent living in the country.
Quoting Turnbridge.com in the article stated above, “Many factors are thought to increase women’s vulnerability to mental health disorders. These factors relate to their biological makeup as well as their specific experiences as women in society.
“From a biological standpoint, research shows that women’s brains are very different from men’s, which could play a role in their susceptibility to certain mental health conditions. Their brain anatomy may also cause women and men to experience mental disorders differently.”
It stated further that “women have different experiences than men, as they walk through life. In general, women are constantly up against societal expectations and pressures that can negatively impact mental health. For example, women place great importance on their physical appearance – largely because society tells them to do so. Women are also expected to be empathetic, warm, friendly, and nurturing, which does not come naturally to every woman. It is these qualities, combined with attractiveness, that women often strive for to fit in of feel valued in society today. However, this can cause chronic stress and lead to mental health conditions.”