20-25% Of People In Nigeria Have Experienced Depression —Olugbile
By ADEOLA ADEDAYO

The Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Dr Femi Olugbile,  during a seminar organised by the Psychology Department of the Neuropsychiatry Hospital Yaba stated that 20-25% of people in Nigeria have one way or the other suffered depression in the cause of their lives.
Dr Olugbile who spoke on the topic; 'Prevention and Early Identification of Depression in Women' disclosed that depression is one of the commonest illnesses affecting human beings especially women and the second highest cause of disability worldwide.
According to Olugbile, the focus of depression has always been the treatment of the illness rather than the prevention because a lot of people are not aware that depression can be prevented he went further to explain that depression is one of the most disabling and expensive illnesses in the world with 80% of suicide attempters do it in the context of a depression which  in most cases could be as a result of family history, disrupted family relationships leading to increased isolation and rejection and it could also be associated with severe 'life events' in women which could be marital breakup or disturbance, infertility, loss of relatives, family crisis, problems with children and could be prevented if the causes are been properly attacked.
Dr Olugbile went further to explain that the focus of depression for the female in the traditional African environment was often the family, child-bearing, child-rearing and relationship issues but in the modern-day, the requirement is to have a career, and work-place challenges co-mingled are likely to increase the vulnerability of being depressed. Poverty and unemployment have become equally important to the female and the male as vulnerability factors.
He went further to disclose that prevention of depression can be effective if the individual understands it's personality and ability to handle situations, if the family is not too rigid in sharing roles or duties and are sensitive to feelings and it's vulnerability , if corporate bodies ensures that a good working atmosphere is established, if professional/stakeholders ensure that anti-female work place practice is eliminated and good female-friendly practices is allowed, if the society and the nation provides a legislation for female empowerment and enlightening the populace on depression and other mental issues.