Expert Says Stress, Mental Health a Growing Concern Among Journalists In Nigeria
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO – A Consultant Psychiatrist at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Shehu, on Saturday in Kaduna warned that stress and mental health disorders have been identified as growing threats to the journalism profession in Nigeria.
Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Shehu who delivered a paper entitled “Pressure Amid Deadline: Psychiatric/Mental Health Precautions” during the ongoing 2 day Retreat of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Kaduna said the problem cut across media practitioners around the globe.
Dr. Shehu said the fast-paced and high-pressure nature of journalism has exposed many practitioners to chronic stress, trauma, depression and other psychological disorders.
“Journalists are stressful and always under pressure to meet deadlines and break the news. What can we do about it? Even though stress is always around us, the only place you stay without stress is the graveyard,” he remarked.
Dr. Shehu noted that reporters often witness tragic and traumatic events first-hand, which may silently affect their mental stability over time. He observed that, like military personnel, journalists are always present at gory and tragic scenes, making them highly vulnerable to trauma.
He warned that unless journalists begin to take mental health seriously, the industry may continue to lose practitioners to depression, suicide and stress-related illnesses.
The psychiatrist urged journalists to seek medical and emotional support when overwhelmed, cultivate healthier work routines, identify the causes of stress early, and prioritise adequate sleep and rest.
He also shared examples of journalists who died by suicide or from untreated depression, underscoring the importance of taking psychological wellbeing as seriously as physical health.