Women admitted for psychiatric ailments increasing in Calabar hospital – Dr Onyuku

Out of the 80 per cent of the inmates admitted at the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Calabar, more than half are women.

Dr Theo Osim Onyuku, a senior consultant at the hospital disclosed this at the University of Calabar yesterday when he gave a talk to a large number of Nigerian youths during a skills acquisition and empowerment programme.

He said increasing numbers of young women are brought to the facility in questionable mental states, needing care and treatments frequently.

He noted that there is an increasing addiction to hard drugs and other substances by University students and other young people, including women, not only in Cross River State.

“Most Nigerian youths are using psychoactive substances, which control their minds. And the intakes of these innumerable drugs and substances are very injurious to their health, which is the reason they suffer a lot of mental illnesses.

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“These drugs and certain leaves are powerful and do negatively affect the brains of these young ones who see it as status symbols.

“If they cannot afford alcohol in bigger bottles, they also indulge in sipping it in sachets which is another dangerous substance. These alcoholic sachet drinks are widely available and cheaper. These, too, are capable of attacking their brains.

“This is why many have alcohol-dependent problems across the country.

“80 percent of inmates at our facility now are youths, half of them female.”

Onyuku said many Nigerian youths, especially those in the varsities are lured into doing drugs, cultism and drinking as a result of peer pressures, and the urge to ‘feel belonged’.

He advised varsity students to concentrate on their studies and acquire skills in addition to formal education instead of clubbing about and doing drugs.

He emphasized that there was really no durable cure for mental illnesses except to refrain.

“The cure for drugs is ‘Do Not Start’”, Onyuku said.