In today’s session, HelpSpace founders Wole, Anthony, and Toye, shared insights on the amazing workers they are doing in tackling Nigeria’s mental health crisis. HelpSpace NGO is a web platform connecting people with mental health challenges to mentors, life coaches, and psychologists for free in Nigeria. Our reporter, Frank Chukwuma covered the interview for Ravenewsonline. excerpts
What inspired you to start it?
A friend of ours lost his dad in 2023, he became depressed and we tried getting a therapist for him and it dawned on us that there is a gap in finding a cost-effective and reliable therapist in Nigeria.
Data tells us that about 100 million to 120 million Nigerians currently suffer from depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Nigeria’s mental health needs are currently borne by fewer than 300 psychiatrists, most of whom live in the cities. About 17.9 million people were lost to disability as a consequence of mental health problems in 2022.
What problem or gap in the market were you aiming to address with your company?
Studies conducted in Nigeria have reported the prevalence of depression among young adults, elderly, and internally displaced people.
Approximately 80% of Nigerians with mental health needs cannot access care due to several factors:
- Lack of awareness of the mental health crisis in the
- Shortage of professional
- High cost of consulting a
- The rising rate of mental health crises in the country stood at 3.9% as of
- Poor cultural and religious
How do you approach innovation and staying ahead of industry trends?
Beyond just building a web platform for the patient, we collaborate with local organizations, community leaders, and health professionals to amplify our outreach efforts.
Who are your primary target audience, and how do you engage with them?
- Teenagers (Ages 13-19): between the age range of 13-19 navigating complex social dynamics, academic pressures, and identity formation. Some of the common factors we have seen attributed to people within this age bracket are peer pressure and substance use.
- Young Adults (Ages 20-35): we often see people within this age bracket deal with issues like life transitions from being a student to a graduate, career pressures, relationship issues, and financial We see a lot of youthful groups of Nigerians within this space. We see them struggle with addiction and self-esteem issues.
- Adults (Ages 36+): while individuals within this life stage deal with midlife crises, career challenges, family responsibilities, and personal development leading to issues like long-standing addiction problems and chronic low self-esteem.
What has been your most effective strategy for scaling your impact reach?
Our primary strategy for scaling our impact involves community-focused outreach efforts. We have adopted a door-to-door approach, conducting awareness talks in schools and local communities. We adopted this approach because, in many regions of Africa, mental health issues are often misunderstood or stigmatized.
This lack of awareness contributes to a significant gap in understanding and accessing support. By directly reaching out to communities, we are able to bridge this gap, educate people about mental health, and encourage early intervention. We partner with schools to conduct workshops and seminars on mental health topics, we do market storms to speak with individuals and families.
Can you share any success stories or impactful customer experiences?
We once met a teenager (student) who had been exposed to drugs and gambling since SS 2. He learned this habit due to peer pressure from friends in their street back at home.
This led to him being trapped in a cycle of addiction and a constant need for money to maintain the lifestyle which resulted in him dropping out of school because his academic performance suffered, and he struggled to focus on his studies.
The constant need to finance his habits caused him to start stealing and left him displaced. His relationships with family and friends became strained, leading to further isolation and emotional distress.
After participating in our awareness talks and accessing our online resources, he reached out for professional help and joined a support group. Now, he is on the path to rebuilding his relationships, and now speaks at our outreach events, helping others who are struggling with similar challenges.
Mental health issues can be profoundly debilitating and, if left unaddressed, can have severe consequences. Our outreach efforts are driven by the urgent need to educate and support communities, especially in regions where mental health awareness is limited. By addressing this critical issue directly, we strive to prevent the severe impacts of mental illness and support individuals in finding the help they need.
Website: https://helpspace.ng/
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