Mental healthcare: Gureje demands patient-centred reforms

Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Neurosciences, Drug and Alcohol Abuse at the University of Ibadan, Emeritus Professor Oye Gureje, has called for urgent reforms in mental healthcare, demanding shorter clinic waiting times, more affordable medicines and treatment, improved hospital facilities and greater patient involvement in treatment decisions.

Gureje made the call at the 2026 World Mental Health Day Symposium organised by the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, with the theme, “Building Person-Centred Mental Health Services”.

In his opening address as chairman of the occasion, he said mental health services must be organised around the needs, dignity and preferences of patients rather than the convenience of healthcare providers.

He stressed that person-centred care required more than diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medicines, saying that it also involved listening to patients, communicating with empathy, respecting their preferences and ensuring that they participated meaningfully in decisions about their treatment.

Gureje noted that psychological distress could affect anyone, making it imperative for mental health services to be accessible, responsive and compassionate.

Delivering a lecture titled “Building Person-Centred Mental Health Services”, a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry, Dr Olatunde Ayinde, said patients must be treated as partners in their care, not passive recipients of professional decisions.

He emphasised the principle of “nothing for us without us”, explaining that healthcare professionals should listen to patients’ experiences, explain available treatment options and involve them in decisions about their care.

Ayinde identified inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, shortages of mental health professionals and the migration of skilled personnel as major barriers to delivering person-centred mental healthcare.

He said patients could disengage from treatment when services failed to address the wider circumstances affecting their lives, including family relationships, finances, housing, cultural beliefs and social support.

According to him, effective mental healthcare must recognise these factors rather than focus exclusively on symptoms and diagnoses.

He called on government, healthcare institutions, practitioners and service users to work together to improve funding, strengthen patient empowerment and protect the human rights of people living with mental health conditions.

The Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Professor Victor Lasebikan, also stressed the need to listen to patients’ lived experiences and tackle the stigma associated with mental illness.

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He said the growing recognition of psychiatry in Nigeria, across Africa and internationally, particularly in child and adolescent mental health, should encourage greater patient participation in the design and delivery of mental health services.

Lasebikan maintained that people receiving mental healthcare should have opportunities to express their concerns and contribute to decisions affecting their treatment and recovery.

The Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Professor Jesse Otegbayo, represented by the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Dr Sesan Oluwasola, called for a more compassionate and inclusive approach to healthcare.

He said patients should be recognised as people with relationships, aspirations and individual circumstances, rather than being defined solely by their diagnoses.

Oluwasola reiterated that “there is no health without mental health”, stressing the need to improve access to services, promote early intervention and provide adequate support for caregivers.

He said mental health should receive the same level of attention as physical health, adding that people experiencing mental health conditions should not face discrimination in accessing care.

The Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Professor Temidayo Ogundiran, called for stronger relationships between doctors and patients, noting that trust and effective communication were central to good healthcare outcomes.

He cited the close rapport often established between traditional herbal practitioners and their clients as an example of the importance of personal relationships in healthcare.

Ogundiran said the principles of person-centred care were relevant beyond psychiatry and should be applied across medical specialities, including cancer care, where patients also needed to be heard, respected and involved in decisions about their treatment.