Mental Health Advocate Tackles Nigeria’s Psychiatrist Shortage with New App, Athari

A mental health advocate based in the U.K., Tsitsi Natasha is addressing the shortage and inaccessibility of psychiatrists in Nigeria through her recently launched mental health app Athari.

“Mental illnesses are at an all-time high, and there needs to be a service that people feel comfortable accessing. There is a shortage of psychiatrists in Nigeria, with many people unable to access one,” she tells THISDAY.

With a population of over 200 million people, Nigeria has less than 250 mental health specialists in the country, according to the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria.

Natasha believes that Athari will serve as the median between psychiatrists and patients. Having battled a mental disorder herself and been fortunate to receive help in the U.K., Natasha felt a deep sense of responsibility to bring similar mental health resources to Nigeria.

Athari targets individuals struggling with mental health challenges who, due to various factors, are unable to access proper care.

“However we want to aim at every individual and not only for those having mental health issues. This is because, at Athari, we believe that mental health should be of concern at all times whether someone is already suffering from it or not,” Natasha explained, highlighting Athari’s inclusive approach to mental health.

Athari comes with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for patients to navigate. Upon downloading, users are expected to fill in their details and the app will be able to match them with a psychiatrist based on their specific needs.

“They can choose any time of the day to schedule their appointment, depending on the doctor’s availability. We understand therapy can be daunting, especially for first-time users, so there’s a feature where the patient can hide their face. Prefer to speak to someone in your own language? No problem. We have doctors from the north, east and south,” assured Natasha.

“We also take into consideration that it takes almost thrice as much time to see a psychiatrist in person, and at their office hours. We offer an affordable alternative that puts our users’ comfort first. We only ask our users to be as open with us as they feel comfortable to ensure they get the best possible treatment.”

Athari features psychiatrists who specialize in various fields, including alcohol abuse and general psychiatry.

Mental health is a worrying trend on the continent, with many refusing to accept that it is a serious health issue that requires urgent treatment. Misconceptions about mental health abound in Nigeria.

“Some say that it’s a ‘demon’ or a ‘punishment for bad behaviour.’ The latter is what inspired Athari. I was in a hospital recovering in the UK and an African nurse asked me why I was there and was it because I didn’t pray?”

“Nigerians are not vocal when it comes to mental health issues,” added Abi Osikoya-Yusef, a Human Resources Consultant who helped to onboard the mental health practitioners onto the platform. “Everybody generally keeps quiet and tries to mask it, especially from a religious point of view. We hear people say ‘go and pray about it, you will be fine’ or ‘talk to your Pastor, Imam or a religious leader. There is that lack of education about what mental health really is and how to approach mental health struggles.”

A Clinical Psychologist and Mental Health Specialist, Dr Jeremiah Inja who leads the team at Athari further stated that mental health is grossly undermined in Nigeria. He shared some data

“About 703,000 people die annually due to suicide (WHO 2019). For every suicide, many more people attempt suicide. A prior suicide attempt is an important risk factor for suicide in the general population. Suicide is also the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.”

He continued: “Seventy-seven per cent of global suicides occur in low and middle-income countries. While the link between suicide and mental disorders (in particular, depression and alcohol use disorders) and a previous suicide attempt is well established in high-income countries, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship break-up or chronic pain and illness.”

With Athari, Natasha hopes to debunk some of the myths surrounding mental health.

“As a society and a generation, we need to do better. The brain is an organ and just like any other organ in our bodies; if not treated and cared for, it can also lose its ability to function.”

Using Nigeria as a launchpad, Natasha envisions Athari expanding to other African countries, such as South Africa and Ethiopia, bringing her mission of mental health accessibility to even more communities on the continent.