‘Emotional abuse from spouses, hardship fuelling mental disorders among men’

A professor of Behavioural Medicine at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Ayodele Coker, has said that emotional abuse from spouses, poverty, alcohol and substance abuse, and societal and financial pressures are factors fuelling mental disorders among Nigerian men.

He further noted that men’s attitude of repressing their emotions, choosing silence while experiencing a lot of stress at work, home, and on the street, further increases the risk of mental disorders, urging them to speak up about their challenges and express their emotions.

The professor of psychiatry further said that while many men paid attention to their physical health, most men neglected their mental well-being.

In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, Coker stated that mental health goes beyond the absence of illness and includes the ability to realise one’s potential, manage life’s stress, remain productive, and maintain healthy social relationships.

He further noted that pain from physical illnesses, social isolation, inability to cope with stress, and traumatic life events contribute to mental disorders among Nigerian men.

“In Nigeria, the risk factors for having mental disorders among men are emotional abuse from their spouses, poverty, alcohol and cannabis substance use, pain from physical and mental disorders, isolation for those who cannot have social wellness, and also inability to cope with stressors of life,” he stated.

The don explained that the reluctance of men to seek help contributed to mental health disorders and unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as dying by suicide.

Coker said, “We have to talk about men’s mental health because men don’t speak out about what they are going through. They tend to repress their emotions. They tend to deny their emotions. They experience a lot of stressors at work, home, on the streets, and they are supposed to cope.”

The behaviourist further cited statistics that showed that 80 to 90 per cent of people in prisons and those who have committed homicides are men, adding that most homeless people and street urchins were men.

According to the Mental Health Coalition, six million men struggle with depression each year. It listed warning signs as fatigue, irritability, loss of interest/pleasure in work or hobbies, changes in eating or sleeping, and feeling numb or hopeless.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness stated that men are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than women.

PUNCH Healthwise recently reported that the economic situation and societal pressures are driving a mental health crisis among Nigerian fathers, with many struggling under the weight of providing for their families.

Coker added that negative life events, including the loss of a loved one, unemployment, and financial hardship, further increase men’s vulnerability to mental health problems.

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“These days, most men cannot afford to put fuel in their vehicles. The family, the spouse, they are not kind to men who have lost their jobs or men who don’t have financial abilities. That’s another risk factor,” he said, noting that worsening economic conditions have intensified stress among many men.

He explained that financial difficulties often trigger behavioural changes that are misunderstood by relatives.

“When they start to manifest with signs and symptoms of mental disorders like irritability, anger, their spouses and their family members will not understand the reason,” the professor said.

The behavioural medicine specialist cautioned against relying solely on religious activities or substance use to cope with emotional distress.

“They need to be taught how to also cope with mental disorders, not just going to the church or having religious behaviours or coping with drugs by developing maladaptive behaviour,” he said.

Coker stressed that speaking about emotional difficulties was one of the most effective ways to prevent mental health problems from worsening.

He acknowledged that many men lacked trusted people to confide in but encouraged them to seek support from pastors, imams, social workers, or “anybody that has a listening ear.”

“They need to speak out. That’s just it. We should not deny or repress our emotions. We need to speak out. Once we speak out, there will be solutions to whatever stress men are going through,” he added.

The behavioural medicine specialist also called on families to be more understanding of men facing financial challenges, noting that unemployment and poverty often compound psychological distress.