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By Doris Obinna
Mind Management Foundation (MMF) recently held Mental Health awareness training for Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Command. The event was also part of activities marking World Mental Health Day, celebrated every October 10.
According to the organisers, “mental health is a critical issue that affects people of all ages, with an estimated statistic of one in every four people in our society, and this is the root cause of suicide.
“It is a day to talk about mental health and show everyone that mental health matters. It’s also a day to let people know that it’s okay to ask for help, no matter what you’re going through.
“Mental health issues are prevalent among the armed forces, police, and other paramilitary bodies. This is one of the reasons for the excesses you find in some of the personnel. As a good corporate citizen and a responsible stakeholder in nation-building, the activities of the Mind Management Foundation are aimed at assisting the government in tackling this societal menace, which necessitated this mental health awareness training for members of the Nigerian Police Force.”
Director, MMF, Arinze Emmanuels, said: “It is our vision to take this training to all the barracks in the nation with a day of training on awareness drives about this societal menace. This reach would go a long way toward touching the lives of not only our police officers who would attend the training but also members of their families and friends. This is possible because at the end of the training, the mindset of the officers would have changed for the better.
“Aside from training the officers, the Foundation also intends to set up a counseling and mental health correctional center in each of the police barracks and offices in all 36 States of Nigeria, starting with all the police commands in Lagos State. He seized the occasion to call on government and corporate bodies to help in fight against the dangerous trend.”
Commissioner of Police, representing Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idowu Owohunwa, said: “Since most Nigerian police officers serving in active service are in their prime, they are susceptible to depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Programmes for the creation, implementation, assessment, and supervision of psychotherapy services are required for young police officers and their families. Thus, the Nigeria Police is happy and fully supports this mental health awareness training for Nigerian police personnel by the Mind Management Foundation.
“This would not only go a long way to boost the morale of the police officers who attend the training but also further allow them to become more upbeat and committed to their jobs and tasks at hand. He called on the police personnel to give them the necessary support when it calls on their division.”
