Month: April 2024

Mental health breakdown is a big deal! The number of people suffering from depression around the world is alarming! In Africa, it is estimated that between 100 million - 116 million people are suffering from clinical depression and other psychotic illnesses, according to the World Health Organization. This is about 10 percent of the entire African population. The situation is even more terrifying in Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world. It is estimated that about 1 in every 4 Nigerians is suffering from chronic depression or any other psychotic illness, which means about 50 million of the entire 200 million population is depressed. The numbers in the US, where I currently reside, are not very palatable either. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recorded that 1 in 5 US adults experiences mental illness each year. 1 in 20 US adults experience serious mental illness each year. 1 in 6 US youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. Fifty percent of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75 percent by age 24. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-14. Some observers have called the situation a silent epidemic. This will undoubtedly become another global pandemic if proactive actions are not taken!