MENTAL HEALTH RESILIENCE AND WELLNESS COURSE 4

In a 2019 survey conducted by the Africa Polling Institute (API) and EpiAFRIC, it was revealed that 20%-30% of the Nigerian population is affected by mental disorders, contributing to diminished productivity and well-being. 
The inability to physically identify certain mental health issues, combined with the high cost of living in Nigeria aggravated by escalating inflation and exchange rates, has led to see heightened levels of anger, anxiety, stress, and depression. resulting in amplified mental and physical health challenges, decreased quality of life, and impaired ability to carry out daily activities amongst our agencies.

To tackle this issue, the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, the Peace Building Development Consult, and other relevant stakeholders are collaborating to organize the Mental Health Resilience and Wellness Course (MHRWC) 4. The primary objective of the course is to elevate awareness about mental health and wellness in Nigeria. It seeks to provide participants with the expertise to recognize psychosocial trauma and well-being within a dynamic peace-building framework, address the root causes of traumatic events at an individual and group level, and deliver appropriate responses. Furthermore, the course is designed to tailor learning experiences to meet the specific personal and professional needs of participants.

1.               The course objectives among others are listed below:

a.                   Raise Awareness and Understanding of the most common Mental Health Disorders.

b.                   Recognize the potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems, including: depression, anxiety/trauma, psychosis and psychotic disorders, PTSD, substance use disorders, and self-injury.

c.                   Examine the effects of high living standards of the country on citizens.

d.                   Analyze the Mental Health Act of 2021

e.                   Understand the epidemiology of Mental Health Conditions.

f.                       Assess Trauma Overview & Definitions—Types of Trauma

g.                   Examine the Effects of Trauma—Emotional, Cognitive, Physical, Spiritual and the Behavioral.

h.                    Examine The Impacts of Unhealed Trauma and Cycles of Victimhood and Violence—acting in and acting out.

i.                       Psychosocial Well-Being after Complex Violence and Disaster Situations.

j.                         Examining the Tools and Processes for Addressing Mental Health Disorder; Body, Mind, Spirit, Restorative Justice and Conflict Transformation.

k.                  Building Resilience and Self-Care—Individual and Collective.

l.          The Course will also Examine Psychosocial Trauma and Well-Being within a Dynamic Peace-Building Framework, Addressing the Causes of Traumatic Events and Individual, Group and Social Responses to these Events.

1.                MHRWC 4 is for people whose work brings them in contact with populations dealing with current or historic trauma, military, para-military, mental health professionals, medical and legal professionals, clergy, educators, peace-builders, humanitarian, human rights and development workers as well as all those who need to be trauma-informed in order to do trauma-sensitive programming.