Doctors fear rise in depression as food crisis worsens

As Nigeria’s food crisis worsens and economic woes mount, senior doctors warn that the situation could push many Nigerians into depression and increase the number of people suffering from hypertension.

According to doctors, persistent hunger is dangerous and causes a lot of harm to the body, as it can make the body more susceptible to diseases due to low immunity.

The maternal and mental health experts noted that deprivation, hunger and poverty are important social factors that determine health and can have a significant impact on an individual’s mental and physical well-being.

The organised private sector recently blamed rising insecurity in the country on food inflation, which rose to 40.87 percent in June 2024 from 25.25 percent in June 2023.

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday showed that the rise in food inflation in June 2024 represented an increase of 15.62 percentage points year-on-year and a rise of 2.55 percent month-on-month.

According to the professors, the poor economy in the country makes it difficult for many households to prepare three meals a day.

They warned the federal government not to ignore the United Nations prediction that 82 million Nigerians, about 64 percent of the country’s population, will go hungry by 2030.

Meanwhile, a global non-governmental organization, the International Rescue Committee, recently added Nigeria as one of the places taking action against hunger due to food insecurity.

The United Nations World Food Programme also indicated that more than 32 million Nigerians are expected to face a severe hunger crisis between June and August, with hunger rates rising.

The doctors therefore urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently address food insecurity across the country.

The experts, who spoke exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise, warned that hunger and malnutrition would lead to higher rates of non-communicable diseases and depression, which would be difficult to manage given the faltering health system and shortage of health workers.

Oladipo Otolorin, a retired professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Ibadan, said the food crisis in the country requires serious attention. He lamented that Nigeria has a young population that is largely dependent on others for its survival.

The expert, who is also the Chairman of the Alumni Association of the Ibadan College of Medicine, noted that the food crisis would affect all age groups in the country, with children being the worst affected.

Maternal Health explained: “Children will be affected the most because they are growing and need a high protein diet to continue growing and if they don’t get that, they will lose weight. They will have stunted growth and not reach their full potential.

“For the older population, they will also lose weight and be affected psychologically. Many of them will become depressed and some will have anger issues.

“People may even commit suicide if they cannot help themselves. We should expect more psychiatric illnesses and this may lead to crime in society. Hypertension will increase.”

The don further said that many of these youths depend on their parents for food, transportation, clothing and everything.

He went on to say that youth are more susceptible to crime when there is poverty and hunger in the country, while children are at greater risk of malnutrition and Kwashiorkor.

Otolorin warned: “If food insecurity is not addressed, Nigeria will look like a war-torn area. Adults will also become malnourished because if you don’t have the money to buy the kind of food that is needed, you will see people taking fewer meals; instead of three meals a day, they will start taking two or one meal a day.”

“With that kind of food you start to lose weight, and the survival instinct will drive some people to crime.

“If people go around and can’t find food, they can start stealing and doing all kinds of criminal activities, like burglaries and kidnappings. So we’re sitting on a keg of gunpowder. A hungry man is an angry man.”

The President urged the President to address the rising insecurity if Nigeria is to overcome the current food shortage and rising commodity prices.

He also called on governments at all levels to take measures to address food insecurity.

Speaking to our correspondent, Professor Taiwo Obindo, President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, said people may need to monitor their stress levels while trying to make ends meet to avoid compromising their health.

Obindo revealed that stress causes diabetes, hypertension and strokes, warning that it negatively affects blood vessels and major organs in the body.

He said: “The body responds to these challenges by releasing chemicals into the system. These chemicals, over time, because of their chronic presence in the system, can cause so many things.

“When we talk about the heart, it can cause hypertension and strokes. The blood vessels get narrowed and eventually they can get injured and block the blood flow to the heart and even the brain.

“A stroke is about things happening in the brain. It could be that the blood vessels in the brain burst or get blocked, blocking the supply of nutrients to some parts of the brain, and that can affect every organ in the body. That affects the outcome.”

On mental health, the professor said stress can lead to headaches, anxiety disorders and depression.

He said: “When a person is faced with challenges, the heart rate increases, the blood vessels constrict and the blood supply is depleted, and the heart beats too fast.”

“That’s why high blood pressure can develop. That’s why the blood supply to the kidneys can be compromised and then cause kidney failure, because if the blood supply to the kidneys is cut off for a very short period of time, it can cause acute kidney failure.

“So all of these things can happen to the heart, the kidneys, and the brain. Especially for the brain, if the stress is ongoing, it can lead to anxiety disorders and depression.”

Obindo advised Nigerians to get enough sleep and eat well, stressing that both are important for stress management.