In keeping with the World Well being Group, roughly 15% of the worldwide inhabitants lives with some type of incapacity, with an estimated 25 million Nigerians affected.
Research point out that individuals with disabilities are thrice extra more likely to expertise psychological well being challenges in comparison with the final inhabitants, with anxiousness and despair being notably prevalent.
In response to those stark statistics, the Basis for Social Innovation (FSI) organized a digital psychological well being consciousness programme particularly tailor-made for individuals with disabilities (PWDs) on October 26, 2024. The occasion, themed “Breaking Obstacles: Psychological Well being Consciousness for Individuals with Disabilities,” introduced collectively stakeholders to deal with the distinctive psychological well being challenges confronted by the incapacity neighborhood.
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The digital gathering, which commenced at 11 AM, was moderated by Program Supervisor Omolara Daniel and featured knowledgeable insights from Jesulademi Lucinda, a distinguished psychologist and life coach. The programme aligned with the 2024 World Psychological Well being Day theme, which emphasizes psychological well being as a common human proper.
FSI Founder Ezenwa Okoro highlighted the group’s dedication to revolutionary options for marginalized communities. “Basis for Social Innovation is a high-impact grassroots group that makes use of artistic instruments and revolutionary assets to empower the weak and marginalized section of the society,” Okoro said. He emphasised that the programme was “a strategic response to offering PWDs with the best data, data and instruments to navigate by their on a regular basis lives, the stress and complexities that comes with residing in a difficult surroundings similar to current day Nigeria.”
The session addressed vital points affecting the psychological well-being of individuals with disabilities, together with discrimination, societal stigma, and unfavourable self-perception. Members engaged in discussions about how facet talks and demeaning feedback contribute to psychological well being challenges inside the incapacity neighborhood.
Wanting forward, Okoro revealed bold plans for the muse: “We’re poised to roll out a number of empowerment initiatives specializing in not solely psychological well being, but in addition consists of entrepreneurship, advocacy, medical and academic outreaches.” This complete method goals to deal with the multifaceted challenges confronted by individuals with disabilities in Nigeria.
The digital format of the occasion ensured accessibility, with provisions made for signal language interpretation to accommodate various contributors. The interactive session included a Q&A section the place contributors shared their experiences and acquired sensible steerage on sustaining psychological well-being.
This initiative marks a major step towards recognizing and addressing the intersection of incapacity and psychological well being in Nigeria. As psychological well being consciousness continues to develop globally, programmes like this assist be certain that individuals with disabilities usually are not left behind within the dialog about psychological well-being and entry to help providers.
