Ugwuanyi’s wife decries high rate of depression in Igboland

WIFE of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, has described the increasing rate of depression in Igboland and other parts of the country as a disturbing trend.

Mrs. Ugwuanyi made the remark at an event commemorating this year’s World Health Day, organised by Ugo’s Touch of Life Foundation (U-TOLF) in collaboration with World Health Organisation.

The Enugu State First Lady noted at the event with the theme, “Depression: Lets Talk”, that many people tend to suffer and die of the condition due largely to ignorance and lack of support.

She noted:   “Depression is something we can’t see, but it’s nonetheless a leading cause of death in people,” said Mrs Ugwuanyi, who was represented at the occasion, held at the Government House premises, by Mr Stanley Okere, an official of the foundation.

Earlier in his address, Dr. Femi Taiwo of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, enumerated some of the symptoms of depression as prolonged feeling of sadness, reduced energy and activity level, loss of interest in what was previously one’s hobbies, reduced appetite and sleep, among others.

He advised people to always consult a psychiatric doctor once they find themselves in such state, adding that the economic situation in the country had further made individuals prone to depression. “People should always take things easy and commit everything into the hands of God,” he said.