Psychiatrist calls for psychosocial support for Kings College students

Following the Diphtheria outbreak at Kings School, Lagos, a Guide Psychiatrist, Stephen Oluwaniyi, has highlighted the necessity for psychosocial assist to assist college students address the stress, worry, nervousness, and trauma attributable to the outbreak.

Mr Oluwaniyi, additionally the Scientific Director, Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, mentioned this in an interview with the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.

NAN remembers that the current Diphtheria outbreak on the Kings School Annex, Lagos, led to the loss of life of one of many contaminated college students, whereas others had been taken to the Lagos College Instructing Hospital (LUTH) for remedy on Saturday.

NAN additionally remembers that the reviews concerning the illness within the faculty began someday in November/December 2024.

Diphtheria is a bacterial an infection attributable to Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It’s a contagious illness that may unfold rapidly by means of contact with an contaminated individual.

He mentioned that the incident would possibly end in some ranges of adverse emotional reactions among the many college students.

The psychiatrist defined that the scholars wanted psychosocial assist, by way of shut monitoring and counselling, to ease the worry/nervousness related to the incident, particularly shedding their mate.

He mentioned that psychosocial assist may be within the type of giving college students the chance to precise themselves, significantly their adverse emotions, and he requested how the college’s services may very well be improved.

In accordance with him, with the incidents, a number of the college students are sure to entertain worry, trauma, nervousness, and even despair, including that some could also be bitter, indignant, and have nightmares staying within the college.

“There’s an pressing want for psychosocial assist for the scholars due to the worry and nervousness of not solely contacting the illness, however the grief and mourning from the lack of their fellow college students,” he mentioned.

“With the incident, there’s already this worry and nervousness of ‘who’s more likely to contract the an infection or who could be the subsequent sufferer to die among the many college students.”

He added, “Equally, there’s a want to present the scholars the chance to precise their adverse emotions and equally monitor them intently to establish those that might develop acute stress response, despair or nervousness dysfunction.

“Such ones, if detected, needs to be dropped at the companies of a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, for additional counseling and remedy, as a result of if left untreated, may result to psychological well being situation.”

One other advisor psychiatrist, Veronica Nyamali, known as for the intense schooling of the scholars on the signs, technique of transmission, and greatest preventive measures for diphtheria illness.

Ms Nyamali, additionally a previous Vice-President, Affiliation of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN), mentioned that the scholars needs to be made to know that contraction of Diphtheria an infection isn’t a “loss of life sentence”, as some would possibly presume.

READ ALSO: Kings School principal speaks after deadly Diphtheria outbreak

She mentioned this schooling is important, except for all different precautionary measures taken by the college administration and the Lagos State Authorities to curb the unfold, like good environmental sanitation, hygiene practices, fixed hand washing with cleaning soap and operating water, sanitisers, amongst others.

“It’s crucial that the scholars endure severe schooling and sensitisation concerning the illness, to be supplied with the appropriate info regarding what causes it, how it may be contracted and greatest preventive methods,” she mentioned.

“This, I consider will go a great distance in erasing the fears, speculations, nervousness and misconceptions already ongoing within the minds of the scholars.”

(NAN)