By Ennie Sophie Oluwa

Before now, things like depression and suicide were almost alien to us as a people.

Not because they didn’t exist, but because there were good support systems and the family units were an invaluable part of our daily lives.

Now, things are tougher, parents can barely make ends meet, the home Unit is giving way to dysfunction, aggression is setting in with parents who now put pressure on the younger ones to grow up fast and support them in discharging their duties.

We don’t listen to each other’s problems anymore. Some even listen just to pass the judgement.

It’s becoming a norm that your problem is between you and yourself and your LUCK. This creates isolation and loneliness in people dealing with life issues.

If we are willing to listen, a whole world may open up for those struggles.

The World Health Organisation statistics shows that close to one billion people have a mental disorder;n depression is a leading cause of illness and disability; one person dies every 40 seconds from suicide and;

Three million people die every year due to harmful use of alcohol and other intoxicating things. It’s time to talk about how we can play our parts in supporting our youngsters in living a balanced life in spite the challenges they face every day.

The time for action is now!

ALSO READ: World Mental Health Day: Bet9ja advocates improved care to boost mental health services

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. A day set aside for global health education, awareness and advocacy on mental health.

Mental health, like physical, is something we should not push aside, make fun of or look down upon.

This aspect of health cannot be ignored and has to be seen as one of the greatest impact of COVID-19.

We cannot let shame and discrimination continue to stand in the way of young people seeking help to protect their mental health and well-being.

It’s time to talk about how precarious it is to be young in Nigeria.

Whether male or female, having a laptop, a Gmail or yahoo mail, earning income in USD however little or more, a tattoo or not, an account balance of over N100,000, being a cryptocurrency investor, an online ad publisher, using PayPal for online payment, having a foreign contact on your friend lists makes you a target of Police brutality.

As we join the world in commemorating World Mental Health Day, we speak about how the fear of moving freely can have an ill-effect on the mental health of young people.

This is especially so in Nigeria, where the activities of the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, are messing up with the mental health of young people.

Oluwa, a reproductive health and gender rights advocate, wrote from Lagos.

VANGUARD