By Aderonke Adesanya
In January 2024, a 32-year-old female bank worker in Lagos State took her own life within the bank premises. Her suicide note, read in part: “Nothing is working in my life. I see extreme hardship. I can’t bear the pain anymore.”
Suicides, occasioned by socio-economic hardship, are increasingly becoming rampant in Nigeria. Unfortunately, most people and institutions saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the mental health of Nigerians is generally stable are overwhelmed by the number of cases they handle, leading to little or no results that could positively impact society.
Clearly, there is a need to get a fresher perspective on the mental health situation of Nigerians, as regards economic realities and social pressure. Interestingly, Joseph Abbas, a clinical psychologist, mental health activist, and preventive science researcher at Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey, United States ─ has contributed his expertise to provide this fresh perspective.
Abbas in his intervention stressed that mental health realities, on a collective scale, differ from country to country. Unlike Nigeria with weak mental health indices, countries with stronger mental health outcomes treat mental health as a public good, not a luxury. Such countries make early investment a priority by integrating mental health into primary care, schools, and workplaces, and reducing stigma through sustained public education.
To further explain his submissions, he cited a 2023 scholarly publication he co-authored with his colleagues titled ‘Job Roles and Work-Related Stress Differences Among First Bank employees in Nigeria’. Quoting from the publication, he stated that the level of stress associated with different job roles in banks is alarming, leading to work-related stress such as relationship stress and task stress.
The study recommended that banks should request professional help in managing stress among their employees to prevent adverse consequences of distress on their staff and their overall performance.
In another 2023 scholarly publication titled,‘Antecedent and Consequences of Workplace Aggression’, Abbas and his colleagues showed that there have been increasing forms of the manifestations of aggressive behaviours in the workplace, often associated with detrimental consequences on the individual and the organisation. According to the study, some aggressive behaviours in the workplace include unruly behaviours, sexual harassment, intimidation, physical violence, psychological assaults, bullying, and incivility, among others.
To ensure that workplaces and homes are safe and conducive for all, Abbas and his colleagues recommended apt management of aggressive behaviours, which have been proven to reduce and extinct workplace aggression.
More recently, while studying the relationship among stress, mental health, and disease, Abbas published a 2025 article titleQ analysis and Integrating Technology For Sustainable Health Solutions’. The study submitted that the prevalence of disability, a leading global public health challenge, is profoundly influenced by the interplay of socioeconomic factors, diabetes, obesity, and geographic disparities.
Findings indicate that lower socioeconomic status, higher obesity rates, and higher diabetes rates significantly correlate with an increased incidence of disabilities, which underscores the need for public health strategies that address economic factors and advocate the incorporation of technology into policy-making and health strategy development to effectively tackle the complex challenge of diabetes management.
Joseph Abbas identified the family, schools, and workplaces as major spaces that shape the psychological conditions of most people, but many of these environments lack emotional and psychological safety. He stated that in families, unaddressed trauma, punitive discipline, or emotional neglect can disrupt healthy development. In schools, unchecked bullying, academic pressure, and limited support systems compound stress. In workplaces, cultures that glorify overwork and overlook mental health drive burnout and disengagement.
“What is missing in these places is consistency, empathy, and psychological support. Institutions across all levels must model emotional intelligence, normalise help-seeking, and embed mental wellness into their core practices — not as an add-on, but as a foundation for functioning,” he counselled.
While addressing urban youth insecurity, which he revealed is largely driven by structural exclusion, such as high unemployment, inadequate housing, poor-quality education, and limited access to health and social services, he stated that in Nigerian cities, opportunities are unevenly distributed, often favouring older or politically connected individuals. He, however, added that these dynamics are not unique to Nigeria, that they mirror patterns observed in other rapidly urbanising low- and middle-income countries.
Further explaining the connection between youth insecurity and mental well-being, he emphasised that chronic exposure to poverty, violence, and social instability increases the risk of depression, anxiety, substance use, and trauma-related disorders. In light of this, he added that, “In contexts where support systems are weak, restiveness can become a form of expression — a way to reclaim agency in an environment that consistently excludes them.
As someone who has lived in Nigeria and now lives in the United States, he compared Nigeria’s mental health realities to those of the US, as it concerns the youth, in terms of causative factors and redemptive approaches.
He said that, in Nigeria, young people face systemic challenges — high unemployment, communal violence, and limited access to quality education. He added that stigma remains widespread, formal mental health services are scarce, and that support often comes from families or religious spaces rather than trained professionals.
On the other hand, he stated that in the United States, the youth face a different set of pressures — social media exposure, school-related violence, and substance use. He noted that while the infrastructure is stronger, access is uneven, particularly for Black, immigrant, and low-income youth.
He added that many still fall through the cracks due to cost, cultural mismatch, or provider shortages.
“Despite the differences, both contexts need upstream solutions: stable housing, safe communities, and access to responsive, culturally grounded mental health care. And in both settings, young people must be part of the design, not just recipients of support,” he advised.
Abbas opined that many of the psychological and mental health issues most Nigerians suffer are due to the national mental health service gaps and the lack of effective policies to address them. He revealed that Nigeria’s mental health system remains hospital-centred, underfunded, and urban-biased.
“Most young people have no access to care near where they live or study. Policies must focus on integrating mental health into primary healthcare and schools,” he said.
Abbas expressed hope that President Bola Tinubu’s administration can inspire and foster general mental health normalcy only if his administration moves from promises to concrete investment in education, employment, and youth inclusion.
“If the government partners with youth-led organisations and delivers visible progress, normalcy is possible. But if systemic neglect continues, restiveness will remain a rational response to exclusion. Tinubu’s next two years as president are critical for building public trust and social stability.
Speaking about his research at Rutgers University, he said that he remains committed to building systems that protect, heal, and serve, especially in communities too often overlooked.
· Aderonke Adesanya, a public affairs commentator writes from Ibadan, Oyo State.