Mental Health Implications of Flooding in Nigeria and Its Effects on Farmers Health and Wellbeing

Abstract

This paper sought to unravel the implications of flooding on mental health in the food affected areas of Nigeria. The paper tried to review the psychosocial factors contributing to mental health issues in flooded areas, investigate the immediate and post experience of flooding, and assess the post-flooding mental health impacts on the society. It was found that flooding have a wide range of psychosocial and mental health impacts. Emotional instability, stress reactions, anxiety, depression, somatisation, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological symptoms were reported to be observed commonly after the disaster and other traumatic experiences. These psychological effects have a massive impact on the concerned individual and also on communities affected. The psychosocial impact of flood disaster can be of immediate experience or post event experience which manifest as any or some of the following: Depression, Grief, Anxiety, Substance Abuse and Family Problems, Stress and Secondary Psychosocial Stressors, Vulnerability, among others. It was found from literature that flooding affects the health and wellbeing of farmers and by extension their productivity. The paper therefore recommends as follows: that Psychological First Aid be adopted as one of the approaches for managing people who have been affected by flooding; people who are affected should not only be offered a single session of stress debriefing or counseling, constant monitoring and counseling are needed for recovery from any form of mental health issue that may arise after flooding and other long term planning made as well. Also people who are at risk of developing a mental disorder may require specialist mental healthcare for effective management of their situation and to nip it by the bud.

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