Experts urge wider access to treatment as specialist proposes brain stimulation therapy for young people with persistent mental health conditions
By Bunmi Yekini
Nigeria must invest in mental health services as a way to rebuild public trust, strengthen community relationships and support national development, a psychiatrist told the fourth Vanguard Mental Health Summit in Lagos.
Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheikh of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said mental health was often treated as a healthcare expense rather than an asset that enables people to cooperate, build relationships and contribute to society.
“Without mental health, there is no social capital. Without social capital, there is no development. And without development, there is no nation,” Sheikh said in his presentation, titled Mental Health as Social Capital: The Hidden Wealth of Nations.
Social capital refers to the networks, trust and shared norms that enable people to work together, Sheikh said, arguing that untreated psychological distress could weaken the relationships on which communities and economies depend.
He linked mental health to people’s ability to trust others, participate in community activities and recover from adversity, warning that prolonged distress and trauma could undermine social cohesion.
Nigeria’s security challenges, including insurgency, banditry and communal violence, also have psychological consequences that require attention alongside conventional security responses, he said.
Sheikh argued that communities exposed to violence without adequate psychological support could experience lasting mistrust, affecting relationships with institutions and their ability to rebuild.
He also described youth emigration, family breakdown and substance use as issues that should be examined partly through the lens of psychological wellbeing, rather than solely as economic or security problems.
Funding and access to care
Sheikh said mental health remained one of the most neglected areas of healthcare, particularly in Africa and Nigeria, where investment in community-based services was limited.
He called for stronger mental health systems, implementation of the National Mental Health Act 2021 and the decriminalisation of attempted suicide.
The professor also cited estimates in his presentation suggesting that every $1 invested in mental health treatment could generate about $4 in improved health and productivity.
A study covering 36 low-, middle- and high-income countries estimated that scaling up treatment between 2016 and 2030 would cost $147 billion, while improved labour participation, productivity and health outcomes could generate returns exceeding those costs, according to the presentation.
Sheikh said the benefits of mental health investment should not, however, be measured only in economic terms, adding that psychological wellbeing had intrinsic value beyond its contribution to productivity.
“Mental health is not a cost; it is not even just a health issue; mental health is the social capital that makes all other capital possible,” he said.
He urged policymakers to expand services in the communities where people live and work, arguing that treatment should be available before psychological distress develops into more severe conditions.
Brain stimulation offers another treatment option
At the summit, Dr. Olufemi Oluwatayo discussed the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate targeted areas of the brain in managing certain mental health conditions.
Oluwatayo said common conditions among young people included depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, which are generally treated with psychological therapy, medication or a combination of both, depending on the diagnosis and severity.
Some patients continue to experience significant symptoms despite adequate medication or psychological treatment, while others struggle with medication side effects or adherence, according to his presentation.
TMS uses a magnetic coil placed against the scalp to generate pulses that induce small electrical currents in targeted brain regions. Different treatment protocols can be used depending on the condition being treated.
Oluwatayo cited the BRIGhTMIND randomised controlled trial, published in Nature Medicine in 2024, which studied 255 patients with treatment-resistant depression who received 20 TMS sessions over four to six weeks.
His presentation also identified possible side effects, including mild headaches, tiredness and hearing discomfort, while noting that seizures were rare. It listed metal implants in or near the head as an absolute contraindication and pregnancy and epilepsy as relative contraindications.
The presentation did not provide detailed trial outcome figures or establish the effectiveness of TMS specifically among Nigerian adolescents.
The discussions formed part of the summit’s broader examination of ways to improve mental health support for young Nigerians, including better access to care, early intervention and stronger community-based services.
Speakers called for mental health to be treated as a shared responsibility involving government, healthcare professionals, families, schools and communities, rather than an issue left solely to specialist hospitals.
They argued that improving access to treatment and addressing the social conditions that contribute to psychological distress would be essential to building healthier individuals and more resilient communities.