By Solomon Odeniyi
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Jela’s Development Initiative, has called on the Federal Government to pay adequate attention to the mental health of Persons with Disabilities.
The Chief Executive Officer of the group, Angela Ochu-Baiye, spoke in Abuja on Wednesday, while unveiling a mental health programme for PWDs.
According to the group, many adults with disabilities experience frequent mental distress in the country and are in need of support to get over this.
Ochu-Baiye said, “Generally, mental health is a conversation that seems not to be taken seriously, not to talk about the mental health of people living with disabilities.
“These people are going through a lot.
A lot of them, when you relate with them, go through mental distress.
“The government must make the right policies that positively affect persons with disabilities.
“The barriers to accessing mental healthcare have to be brought down generally with the mindset that persons with disabilities have a unique experience.
“One person with one type of disability can have a completely different experience from somebody else with another type of disability.
“So, we need to take into consideration those peculiarities.”
Ochu-Baiye said with the programme, the NGO was hoping to help over 400 PWDs and their family members, with their mental health needs.
“Also, we are going to be having what we call the stories from unburden, where we will highlight certain issues that affect their mental health and their wellbeing in general,” she added.