By Tokunbo Dada
As countries mark this year’s World Mental Health Day, a psychiatrist, Dr Abimbola Agbaminoja, has encouraged managers at workplaces to spread the message of hope, as it can help to safeguard workers’ mental health.
World Mental Health Day is celebrated yearly on October 10. An Ogun-State Psychiatrist, Dr. Agbaminoja, while interacting with Tosin Ajakaye and Francis Iberi on Morning Cruise, a programme on Paramount FM 94.5 Abeokuta, defined mental health as the overall emotional well-being of an individual, saying that when there is a problem with that well-being, then we have a case of mental health disorder.
Some of the symptoms of mental health disorders include sleep disorders, easily getting angry with little or no provocation, continuously feeling on edge—being nervous, imminent feelings of doom, and loss of interest in things the person previously enjoyed doing.
It is important to prioritise mental health in the workplace, and mental health assessments of workers should be done at the point of recruitment in order to be able to manage the kind of tasks and pressure such employees can handle. Dr Agbaminoja explained that empathy, mental health education, and appropriate legislation promoting mental health in the workplace are important in combating mental health disorders.
The case of Andreas Lubitz, a co-pilot on Germanwings Flight 9525, who deliberately crashed the plane into the French Alps on March 24, 2024, killing himself and 149 others, is a reminder of some of the complications of mental health disorders.
Dr Agbaminoja, therefore, advised workers to have time for leisure and recreation in order to protect their mental health, and a balance of work and personal life is said to be crucial. He encouraged the use of electronic assistants to reduce work pressure.
As the economic situation in Nigeria puts a lot of pressure on workers, the psychiatrist enjoined Nigerian workers to be modest and live within their means. Also, he stressed the role of religious and cultural values in encouraging people that there is hope. Sustained awareness in the workplace on mental health and continuous training of managers would go a long way to protect workers’ mental health.
